Random Musings: Contagious Generosity / Random Acts of Kindness / Pay it Forward / Karma / Meaning In February of 2011, while unloading

in the parking lot at Butternut in Great Barrington, MA, I found a $20 bill wrapped around a drivers license belonging to a teenager from central Connecticut. The following day, I returned it to him in via USPS along with a note directing him to pay it forward. Almost exactly a year later, I lost my wallet in that same exact parking lot. The wallet contained approximately $150. A few days later, I received the wallet (and all of the money) back from the management of the ski area with a note telling me that a guest had discovered the wallet in the parking lot and turned it in to the lost-and-found. Was it an odd coincidence? Possibly, but it got me to thinking about how kindness can be contagious and the idea that Good acts -- acts of kindness, generosity and cooperation can spread just as easily as bad. And it takes only a handful of individuals to really make a difference in our families, our communities and our world. The following is a synopsis of some related (and some unrelated) thoughts Ive found since then that have been helpful to me in thinking about how I navigate the world around me, how to better deal with lifes challenges and how to better accept outcomes or circumstances that are beyond my control. They might sounds like trite catchphrases Ive found that if you internalize them, they really do work. Anne Herbert first coined the catchphrase random acts of kindness in 1982. A random act of kindness is defined as a selfless act performed by kind people to either help or cheer up a random stranger, for no reason other than to make people happier (Wikipedia). In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a book entitled Pay It Forward which was made into a successful movie starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt. The premise of the story involves doing a favor for another person without expectation of being paid back. Recipients in turn "pay it forward," by doing a good deed for three people who in turn each do good deeds for three other people. Pay it forward has since become a grassroots social movement based on the popularity of the movie, translating into school and community projects worldwide. Karma is a law which maintains that every act done, no matter how insignificant, will eventually return to the doer with equal impact. Karmas cause and effect idea has its origins from ancient Indian religions predating the birth of Jesus Christ. In modern Western cultures, the notion is simpler as demonstrated by phrases such as violence begets violence with a sense of intervention by a supernatural being or with a sense that karma is a more inherent principle of the universe without intervention. At their core, these are all examples of altruistic egoism: this seemingly contradictory phrase encapsulates the idea that acting in the best interest of others (clients, colleagues, family, friends and neighbors) is ultimately more rewarding in the long-run than actions taken solely for self-interest. By no means is this meant to suppress the human instinct to take care of him or herself first; rather, it is the idea that we maximize our own happiness, wealth and utility by being useful to others. This philosophy of gratitude translates into a code of behavior that some might interpret as being based on the conviction that by earning our neighbors love and becoming necessary to him, we can satisfy our own selfish needs while helping others. The concept doesnt need to be so seemingly calculating since there is solid scientific evidence that suggests those who consistently help other people experience less depression, greater calm, fewer pains and better health so it is possible that the benefit comes from within; it is merely the act of helping that provides the benefit rather than the prospective possibility or promise of a future payback (or return of such help) in a true act of generosity. Group/unit/family cohesion also seems have an ability to impart incredibly selfless behaviors; wartime acts of heroism are not so uncommon individuals have been known to take deliberate but unplanned action in the face of great danger to save others even through the action will likely result in great harm or death (i.e., saving a fellow soldier by jumping on an unexploded grenade). Similarly, self-help groups have a great track-record at encouraging altruism through the idea that helping oneself is achieved by helping others (others in the group). In his 1946 book, Mans Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl observed there were three possible sources for meaning: in work (doing something significant), in love (caring for another person), and in courage during difficult times. Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give our suffering meaning by the way we respond to it. Forces beyond our control can take away everything we possess except one thing, our freedom to choose how to respond to the situation. We cannot control what happens to us in life, but we can always control what we will feel and do about what happens to us. Along these lines, scientific studies have shown that suffering small amounts of trauma can make us more resilient perhaps this is only a more softlyworded idea than the quote attributed to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. So it seems that by dealing with lifes challenges and traumas with grace, you gain resilience to better handle the next challenge.