May I Invite You to Follow Me?

Dear Friends,

How's everyone doing? It has been 2 weeks since I announced that I am handing over the main duties of managing the group to my 3 admins and I am really glad to see how things are progressing since then. We have new members joining us (we have passed the 9,000 members mark, yay!), our members become more proactive in sharing, which is something I really hope to see. It is not just the duties of the admins to share, everyone can play a part and share kindness opportunities. We also have a friend, Veronica, who has graciously accepted my request to help share volunteer opportunities from the list of volunteer groups (http://tinyurl.com/hwm7xpe), on a consistent basis. This initiative will benefit members who are looking for ad-hoc/ one time volunteer opportunities.

As for myself, when the responsibilities of managing the group are off my shoulders, I found more inspiration to continue my writings in promoting kindness, positiveness and happiness. I initially thought that I was going to just fade away into the background and have not much contribution but I was wrong. I realized I can still contribute to the community by spreading more positive energy through my writings on my wall. We live in a world surrounded by plenty of negative energy and at any one point, we may experience any of these negative emotions, anger, hate, fear, sadness, worries, frustration, disappointment, boredom, hurt. If we react negatively to these emotions, we may be caught in a vicious cycle that gets us more negative. We need positive energy to diffuse these negative emotions and what I hope to achieve is to give you that constant reminders, to encourage you to always stay positive, so that you are able to handle the negative emotions well. These sharing are reminders for myself too as I am not immune to the negative emotions.

In order to achieve this goal, may I request you to follow me? You can click on my profile (http://tinyurl.com/zsd4p2r) and then click the "Follow" button. By doing so, I become like a Facebook Page to you, I will not be able to access your photos and wall posts but you can see what I share. I thought this would be an ideal arrangement as I can share with you what I have written while respecting your privacy. For members who are already my Facebook friends, you will be following me by default. If you would like to get a compilation of what I have written previously, you can download a copy of my ebook here (http://preview.tinyurl.com/z9swv4r). I have attached a few screenshots for reference. I have some friends telling me that they have benefited by reading some of the articles in the ebook, as it encourages them to be kind, positive and happy :)smile emoticon

Thank you all for reading through and please continue to keep up the good work of spreading love and kindness. The world will be a better place because of all our efforts, every one of us can make a difference, cheers <3heart emoticon

Brushing Teeth With My Non-Master Hand

Last night, I did something for the first time in 33 years of my life: I brushed my teeth using my left hand because I had a wound on the right (master) hand and I got it bandaged and wrapped up. It was challenging and awkward to brush teeth with a non-master hand and I have never appreciated the use of my right hand as much as now.

There are many thing in life that we never truly consider as blessings until we lost the use of them. From the very basic of our 5 senses (the ability to see the beauty of the world, to taste the delicacies, to smell aroma and fragrance, to hear beautiful music and to touch and feel with our limbs) to our general health, our freedom, the peace we enjoy, the clean air we breathe and the clean water we drink, I consider them all as blessings rather than entitlements. If you constantly feel that there are no reasons to be happy about or that life is tough and stressful, do take some time to appreciate and shift the focus to the blessings you already have. A happy and meaningful life is all about contentment and being thankful of what we have.

Part 2
While I spent almost thrice the amount of time brushing, things got easier towards the end. Life is going to throw us challenges, especially when we are least expected but we all have this amazing ability to adapt and overcome them one by one. So, if you are facing issues in life currently, stay positive and don't give up. Keep trying and you will soon be able to clear your obstacles and come out stronger. Keep the faith that you are going to see the light at the end of the tunnel soon, for good times are just round the corner :)smile emoticon

*Signing off with my left hand*

Give Without Expecting Anything In Return

I was at Novena Square 2 shuttle bus stop, waiting to go National Skin Centre. There are 2 queue lines over there, the other going to K K Women and Children Hospital. Behind me was a young couple carrying a baby and they don't look local. I thought they might not be familiar and could have queued at the wrong line so I asked the lady if she was in the wrong queue and if they were going to KKH instead. She replied in her Thai accent, with hardly any expression or emotion, "No...skin centre..." I realized they were in the right queue afterall.

When we give kindness, it is not always that the recipient will show gratitude or appreciation but it doesn't matter. We give with true and sincere intention of helping and wishing the recipient well. We don't give because we expect appreciation or recognition in return. I would be grateful if someone was watching out for me when I was abroad so I do the same for someone in a similar situation now when the opportunity arises.

I also feel that we should help one another regardless of race or nationality. There is some discomfort among the local community regarding the rise in foreigners. I have no comments on the govt policies but I know hating one another isn't going solve anything. Hate and anger weigh everyone down and suck everyone into a negative vicious cycle, generating more hate, anger and resentment. Only love can heal the hurt and brings us inner peace.

I hope we would all be wise enough to choose what's good for us and to always spread more positive energy around, through giving kindness and creating happiness. Everyone can play a part to make things better, cheers :) smile emoticon

Sharing A Heartwarming Sight

Was traveling back home and going down an escalator when I saw a crowd gathered in front. The escalator in the other direction was stopped because an old Uncle fell and there was blood on his face. Someone was alert enough to stop the escalator before further damage was done. As Uncle slowly made his way down, there were people holding and supporting him, while another person passed him a tissue paper to wipe off the blood. Some folks in the crowd asked if he was okay and directed him to a corner to rest.

It is really encouraging to see so many kind-hearted friends offering their help and concern to someone in need. This is the Singapore Spirit that we can all be proud of. Some people may think that Singaporeans only care for themselves and always wanted to fight for No. 1, but that is not how I view us to be. I know many of us are very kind-hearted and always willing to help when the need arises. We may be competitive to a certain extent but there is no denying the love that is inside all our hearts <3heart emoticon

Let's have more faith in fellow Singaporeans, encourage one another and bring out the best in all of us. Let's also use social media wisely to spread more positive energy around and not put people down. Thank you for helping to make a positive difference :)

Act of Random Kindness In Office

When I left office this evening, most of my colleagues had already left but all the lights were still on. It is easy for me to assume that someone (maybe the security guard) would come turn it off later at night or brush this aside since it is not in my job scope to switch off the lights. However, I feel that every little bit of effort counts so I turned off 90% of the lights in areas where I saw no one around.

This may be the kind of action which some think is of no value or benefit. However, have we really consider the impact if everyone thinks this way? If everyday, hundreds or thousands of offices had their lights and aircon not switched off because everyone thinks its not their responsibilities to do so, how much of taxpayer money will be expended and wasted? Singapore is an affluent country and we can afford to set the city ablaze by leaving all the lights on, but what about the impact to our environment?

We are already experiencing some of the worst climate change in recent years, rising temperatures, flooding, snow appearing in non-temperate countries, freezing people to death. These are all effects of global warming and the damage done to our environment. We must come together to play a part to solve these problems and not create more problems for future generations. This is no longer about responsibilities as an employee, this is about responsibilities as a human being and fellow occupant of this Earth. We can and we have to play our part. Let us all be kind to Mother Nature <3

Act of Random Kindness In the Supermarket

I was waiting to pay for my basket of grocery when I saw a baby boy in his pram, looking over his shoulder at my direction. I turned and saw his mum, a young Malay lady, queuing behind me. She had only 2 small items to pay while I had one big basket. So, I asked if she wanted to go first because she had only 2 items and I am not in a rush (how much delay would payment of 2 small items cause anyway?), plus her baby was waiting for her. She politely declined, told me it's okay and thanked me.

I thought that simple gesture like this can warm someone's heart. I saw someone did something similar before and today I learn to be like her:

https://www.facebook.com/442100069242216/photos/a.586013468184208.1073741834.442100069242216/768220849963468/?type=3&theater

In the kindness world, we inspire one another to do better. Today, I share with you my act of kindness, not to show off, but to encourage you that kindness opportunities are everywhere and that acts of kindness are easy to give. Tomorrow, you may be in a similar situation and you become the kindness giver. Also, by helping one another, regardless of race or religion, is the best way to promote racial harmony. We really don't need any laws or rules to tell us what not to do, because with love in our hearts, there is no distinction among us. Cheers to a better world <3

Act Of Random Kindness In The Train Station

Saw 2 maids wheeling an Old Uncle into the train station. They were not aware that certain train cabin actually have more space catered for wheelchair users. So, I walked over to them and told them that they might want consider moving to the cabin with more space for the wheelchair.

One maid told me that they move all the way to end as there are less passengers there and they will not block the doorway. They are thankful that I told them about the extra space.

Kindness is about looking for one another, sharing information that can benefit one another and making the small effort to make a difference when others probably don't bother to. Thank you for that kind thought & kind gesture you gave :)

The Dawn of A New Era

Dear Friends,

When I started our P2P group 2 years ago, I had 2 objectives in mind. The first is to use this as a platform to share kindness opportunities, e.g upcoming volunteer events, donation drives or any meaningful causes that require support. The second objective is to encourage everyone that we can all come together to make a difference and that every one of us will just need to contribute a little each. This concept is illustrated by using a small contribution of $2 as an example; if we have 1,000 donors, we would have accumulated $2,000 and if we have 1M donors then the total contribution will be a large sum of $2M. As simple as a small contribution of $2 can make a big difference when we combine our efforts, the same goes if every one of us give kindness whenever and wherever we can, all our acts of kindness when added up will help create a big impact, thus building a more heartwarming and gracious community for us and our future generations.

Our group slowly evolves to serve other purposes as our number grows. When positive energy generated from giving kindness attracted more like-minded friends on board, we helped many volunteer groups and individuals achieve their targets in helping the less fortunate, at times when all seem lost. We are starting to make an impact collectively as a group. With the great privilege of having many founders of volunteer/ charity groups gathered here in P2P, we slowly become the bridge connecting volunteers to volunteer groups to beneficiaries to individuals campaigning good causes to anyone who wish to make a difference. The kindness community which I always envisaged is forming right here in P2P. I am so proud to see the sheer volume of love being spread around as everyone is focused on the giving. The fact that a giving group like us has grown to 9,000 members is a perfect testimony of the Singapore Spirit and what the people of Singapore are really made up of. You can't find the best deals that would benefit you here, you won't take anything much away from here but still you came to give. You do that because there is love in your heart and because of what you do, our future will be brighter and the world will be a better place.

The last 2 years have been one of the most memorable period in my life as I enjoyed every minute doing what I am doing. What started off as an interest slowly became a passion which then gave me a sense of purpose in life. I sometimes wondered if this is my calling. With smartphones and data plans, I am no longer bounded by the desktop as I can be as involved as I possibly can, even on the go. There was once when I was sharing one kindness initiative per day and even so, I was already holding myself back in order not to flood the group with too many posts. I can do P2P stuff anytime, anywhere, before office hours, during office hours, after office hours, weekend and every single day of the year. Even when I was overseas on my holiday trips, I checked in to see how were things going in P2P. Some friends asked if this was my full time job while others complimented on my relentless energy in being so involved with these online work. The downside of it all is when you spend so much time, effort and energy in one area, you are likely to sacrifice time in other areas of your life.

All these while when I have been so involved and focused in promoting kindness among our community, encouraging everyone to be kind whenever they can, even to strangers; all these while when I preached about loving your family members and loved ones, I asked myself this, "have I, Jason Cai, been kind enough to my own family?" For every second I spend thinking how to help a charitable cause, for every second I spend writing my long winded post, replying all the enquries on my posts or via PM, consolidating pledges, researching and compiling lists on where to donate your preloved stuff, children items, sharing about volunteer groups and opportunities; for every second I spend promoting kindness on P2P, is the very exact second I lost connecting with my loved ones, my family members; the same second that I could used to care for their well-beings, understand their needs, show more concerns and be more loving towards them. This is harsh reality of life as we cannot have the best of everything.

I pondered this a long while, now that things are more or less settled down in P2P, maybe it's time for leadership transition in P2P? Maybe it is time to slow down and pass on the responsibilities to someone who is equally capable, if not more capable than me? I started talent scouting for my admins way before I had these plans. Back then, it was more of finding a covering admin just in case I am not around. Now, it is not about finding someone to cover anymore, it's about finding successor who can really take over the group and take it further. I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to my 3 admins, Derek, Vicknes and JiaJia, who are gracious and brave enough to take up this admin role. They did not become our group admins by chance, I saw great potential in each one of them and persuaded them to take on the admin roles. Over the past few months, I have shared with them all my knowledge and experience in managing the group, in view that they may one day take over the group from me. The time has come earlier than expected but I am pleased to announce that it's time for them to step out of the shadows and take over the main duties of managing our group. I very much hope that you can continue to give them your trust and support as P2P continues to be the platform to create more awareness for kindness opportunities and to provide much needed support for the volunteer groups and charitable causes.

We have a few sharings in the pinned post that are quite useful for our members, like the list of volunteer groups, the lists of where to donate preloved and children items. I have made them all editable under our shared group documents, so that all members can add on to the list if you have anything useful to add. I have also managed to launch my ebook today, which I hope can be a source of inspiration for friends aspiring to lead a purposeful and meaningful life. The ebook can be found in our group files here:
https://www.facebook.com/download/1733918220177815/Be%20Kind%20Be%20Positive%20Be%20Happy%20-%20An%20eBook%20By%20Jason%20Cai.pdf

So, what's next for Jason Cai? I will still be around, not to worry, but I will be taking a more reserved role as I pass the responsibilities of managing P2P to my admins. I do still welcome any friends to PM me to ask for advice but I may not be able to promise you an instant response. If there are any urgent matters, please look any of our 3 admins, they will be more than happy to assist you. As I slow down to fulfil my other responsibilities in life, I wish to thank all of you for your trust, support and many encouragements that you have given me throughout this journey. They are my greatest source of motivation to keep going all these while. I want to thank all the volunteer leaders and friends whom I have worked with to campaign for your causes, it has been my great privilege to be involved, please continue to keep up the excellent work and provide more kindness opportunities to bond our community and help those in need. It is not easy being a volunteer leader so be proud of what you do and what you stand up for.

The kindness journey will never end, we must continue to open our hearts to opportunities to do good, to help one another and to improve things for the better. Why are we building the kindness community and developing the kindness culture? It is going to be our biggest safety net, for you, for me and for many generations to come. The kindness project will benefit everyone as we progress to a better world together. Thank you for believing in this vision and thank you so much for your love and kindness. Till we meet again, please take good care of yourself, stay healthy and happy always :)smile emoticon

With Love,

Jason Cai

Happy Valentine's & Friendship Day

Dear Friends,

Happy Valentine's Day & Friendship Day & 人日 (human day) to all of you !

Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love, it is not a day to prove love. Love is all about giving and not about expecting anything in return. It is the same as giving kindness, the only expectation is probably for the recipient to be happy, the rest doesn't matter actually. If you want to celebrate love, focus on what you can give rather than what you should receive, you will be happier that way too.

Love is what we need to heal all the wounds and sufferings in this world, so give love whenever you can, not just to your loved ones but to everyone. Most importantly, remember to love yourself. It is nice that today is Friendship Day as well, I take this opportunity to thank the many wonderful friends who are with me in this kindness journey. I am truly blessed to have all of your trust, support and encouragement all these while.

The Chinese celebrate 人日 (human day) today and what define humanity are the good things we do for one another to make our world a better place for all. We definitely need all the love and kindness we can get to achieve that.

On this special day where we celebrate love, friendship and humanity, I present to you a small gift, my first ever ebook, a compilation of articles I have written over the past 2 years, since I started Project Act of Random Kindness (P.A.R.K.) back in 2013. It is titled "Be Kind, Be Positive, Be Happy" and I hope it lives up to it's name of encouraging you to be kind, positive and happy. Life is only meaningful when we are happy and to be happy, we must always embrace a positive mindset amid all the obstacles and challenges we face. There is great healing powers and abundance of positive energy in giving love and kindness, embrace that and we will uncover the treasures of Life's amazing journey. Cheers :)

https://www.facebook.com/download/1733918220177815/Be%20Kind%20Be%20Positive%20Be%20Happy%20-%20An%20eBook%20By%20Jason%20Cai.pdf
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