LOOK WITH YOUR HEART Posted by Mia Tagano, Jun 18 2014 There is a quote somewhere, perhaps it is a lyric to a song  “look with your heart not with your eyes” – I love this and try whenever possible to include my heart as I go throughout the day, especially when meeting new people. Recently, my 94 year old grandmother was moved from hospital to a rehabilitation/care facility. I have been visiting her almost daily. She has dementia and has no short term memory –she doesn’t know I came yesterday but is grateful to see me today. We laugh easy together, play solitaire in partnership, high-five with both hands when she “wins" at the end; we play only as long as it is fun then I hold her hands, or she holds mine - We hold each other. She used to hold just one hand but nowadays she reaches for both and squeezes tightly. Sometimes, she falls asleep. Still holding on. ... Read Full Story

An Anonymous Tag, Hand-Delivered With Love Posted by Trishna Shah, Jun 18 2014 Last week, late at night Deep and I discovered a little bag. We thought maybe someone had left it behind accidentally so we peeked in from the top to see what it was so we could return it. Much to our surprise, we found a card with Deep's name and our flat number written on it, looked like someone had hand-delivered a little something! :) Deep opened the card and a smile appeared on his face as he read a really sweet anonymous note thanking him for making it possible for me to hold space in the various ways we do in our home, accompanied by a heart-shaped box of truffles :) He immediately tried to guess who it was from, and I told him someone was probably feeling especially grateful, but I had no idea who it was from. I guessed it was probably a ripple in someone's heart from ... Read Full Story

We Were Deeply Touched To Receive ... Posted by Guri Mehta, Jun 17 2014 We were deeply touched to receive this email from the good folks in Barcelona, Spain who are moved to bring more kindness into their city:   "KindSpring has inspired a social movement in Barcelona, Spain. We create flashmobs in public spaces that give love, respect and human connection without expectation. We just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work in opening the minds of our community to creating a peaceful more giving future. We are united with you on this mission and this video puts all 3 years of our work into 3 heart warming minutes. We hope it brings you a slice of the inspiration you've already given us!!! Many Thanks, Peter Sharp Founder Good Vibrations Barcelona"

Crazy Wise Posted by Pavi Mehta, Jun 16 2014 Gifted photographer Phil Borges was a guest speaker at one of our Awakin Circles last year. He's now completed work on his first feature-length documentary: Crazywise. It deals with an important subject that in his own words, "grew out of my fascination with shamanism and the way indigenous cultures often look at severe mental disorders. Until I started working on this film I didn’t realized the severity of the mental health crisis in our country. My goal is to create a powerful film that will spark a long overdue conversation for change. Most importantly, it will explore successful programs and methods for addressing mental illness. Since some of these solutions are new to our country many people have never heard of them until now." Meditation is one of the paths to healing that's deeply explored in the film.  You may enjoy the trailer: 

A Broken Chair, A Full Heart Posted by Thuy Nguyen, Jun 15 2014 During my Friday morning shift at our clinic, a patient tried to force the chair in the far right corner to recline without using the lever to unlock it first. He was a big man and ... so it worked. However, the back of the chair broke off. He was mortified and I could tell it was difficult for him to relax and enjoy the rest of his treatment in another chair. It seemed like he created a rather inconvenient situation for us at the clinic but what happened as a result of this accident reminded me of the power of what we are doing at the clinic: the power of community. After said patient left, Helen made an out of order sign with a sad face to put on the chair so that other patients wouldn't inadvertently sit on it and fall. Perhaps it was the strategically placed sad face, ... Read Full Story

I've Been Enjoying Last Couple Days ... Posted by Nipun Mehta, Jun 14 2014 I've been enjoying last couple days in Taiwan, as a group of nuns is hosting a very thoughtful event on personal and social transformation. :)  From researchers to social entrepreneurs to thought leaders to change agents and lots of monastics (like Bhikkhu Bodhi), people have convened to elevate an inter-disciplinary dialogue on service.  I was particularly inspired by the work of Lily Yeh yesterday, who uses art for remarkable social transformation.  One of my higlights yesterday was being received joyously by nuns, and holding one of 2000 the Mandarin Smile Deck that they have put in motion. :)  Looking forward to the emergence over the next couple days.    

Empty Hands And Marblehead Zen Posted by Audrey Lin, Jun 14 2014 A few months ago, Heather was searching for kindness on the internet and came across the "Being Kind" music video. She passed it along to her dear friend Sandra, who then sent it to Joan, who then emailed Nimo to visit the Marblehead Zen Center in Massachusetts. This past week, we had the beautiful opportunity to spend time with the blossoming community there, and the days have been filled with spontaneous and scheduled gatherings, little gestures of care, moments of grace, and shining smiles. We arrived on Wednesday, and joined in on a half-day retreat. After a circle of introductions, we spontaneously decided to embark on an hour-long silent walk in the gorgeous surroundings—from forested conservation land to a small patch of shore that sits against the Atlantic Ocean to rock carved by glaciers to a road speckled with colorful cars buzzing past. We then regrouped, and shared stories on the ... Read Full Story

Awakin Saturdays In Dubai Posted by Neha Phukan, Jun 14 2014 A few of us gathered once again on Saturday to share space and sit in stillness. It was the second Awakin in Dubai and yet another unique and beautiful experience. As always sitting in a group was powerful and our hostess, Sandhya’s home has that special magic which helps quiten down my mind much faster. The circle of sharing was an enthusiastic one this time - where we spoke about how being aware of the triggers and sensations that lead to anger, acts as a great pause button to change reaction to response. Everyone had insightful comments to share and I took away nuggets of wisdom from each person's authentic expression. One person shared how he felt “stiller” as a result of sitting together as a group in silence, while another lady who has attended the original Awakin Wednesdays at the Mehta home was overwhelmed by gratitude and kept saying she ... Read Full Story

A Note That Made Our Day Posted by Dinesh Mehta, Jun 12 2014 Harshida and I were very touched to receive this note today, from an elder whom we used to see often on Wednesdays: "Tomorrow is my surgery to remove my tumor -- some or all of my kidney will be gone. Yet, the good spirit that I am in, is amazing myself! And it is all due to you guys, Awakin Circles and DailyGood. I know that ServiceSpace is the foundation for all this, so please send my thanks to all its pillars. I will be discharged in 3/4 days and I should be able to resume my daily chores. I am happy."

Empty, Gather, Ripple - InnerService Retreat In London Posted by Trishna Shah, Jun 12 2014 Twenty friends came together once again in London a few weeks ago to dive deeper into our own hearts and explore how we can collectively hold space to "Empty, Gather, and Ripple." This time we decided to gather in Central London, at our home, with the intention of offering the space in a new location, which may be more convenient for others to join in, who might not have traveled out to Ani and Hemant's beautiful retreat space in Mill Hill for past retreats. What unfolded was an inspiring day, filled with moments that made us smile, stories that brought us to tears, and above all else beauty in small acts of LOVE! Each time we gather in a circle, it’s so inspiring to think about it's uniqueness and how it will probably be the only time this particular circle comes together – it’s so rare for two circles to ever ... Read Full Story

Lesson From Smile Card Stuffing On Wednesdays Posted by Hafeez Jaffer, Jun 10 2014 For the last six or seven years, I have been anchoring Smile Card stuffing after Awakin Circles in Santa Clara. The process is simple: we get our share of orders from the KindSpring site, we print labels, count 10 exact cards, stuff the envelopes, affix the labels and stamps, and give it out to people for posting. About a dozen folks end up participating in this. When I first started doing it, I put on my work hat and wanted to automate everything. I wrote up a software the automates the label generation, I looked up card counters that they use in casinos, I ordered pre-stamped envelopes that could be easily put through the printers, and I checked out automate stamping machines that the post-office offers. Experienced volunteers would gently tell me that getting the job done wasn't the only point, but I was singularly driven by efficiency. This was, after all, to ... Read Full Story

Quote By Dr. Seuss Posted by Nilay Shah, Jun 10 2014  

Selfless Blessings: A Store With No Price Tag Posted by Sunaina Chugani, Jun 09 2014 My friend Steve shared this news piece with me about a woman in Missouri who opened "a store with no price tags that helps those in need." I found the part about the man who needed a coat not being able to get one from a store full of coats to be very moving. Feeling grateful for people like the lady in this video who are putting the gift ecology to work.   Link to Original Video    

What Does A Grocery Mega-tag Look ... Posted by Rahul Brown, Jun 09 2014 What does a grocery mega-tag look like? It looks a lot like what just happened when we got home after a week of travel. We discovered a beautiful quote from Mother Theresa taped to the door with a hearted note taped to watermelon atop a tub-o-food. These angels thought of every food group, even the sweets :-) Some of the goodies were gluten free tortillas, tofu, kale, chard, spinach, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, apples, bananas, pears, squash, cantaloupe & more! This appeared to be a multi-store tag, as they even bought the candies I love to gift :-) What I love about this besides the extremely detailed thoughtfulness is the conspiracy of goodness that I sense about it: the usual suspects are of course involved but its impossible to tell exactly who and to what degree each person contributed. Net result: big smiles, bulging fridge, tingling tastebuds, and most importantly-- overflowing gratitude which can clearly only be paid forward. We love you food angels!

Jayeshbhai's Awakin Talk Posted by Sachi Maniar, Jun 08 2014 Early in the year, we had an "Awakin Talks" gathering -- where transformation driven change agents shared their incredible stories. Our opening speaker was none other than Jayesh-bhai!  Long while back, Emmanuel captured his beautiful video; he spoke as one of the earliest Awakin Call guest, Madhu captured him at a ServiceSpace retreat on Laddership, and many continue to blog about him. Most recently, he wowed us again last December as Nimo interviewed him for his second Awakin Call.  To add to the mix, here's the latest recording of short -- and touching! -- talk in January 2014: 

British Parliament Stops To Meditate Posted by Trishna Shah, Jun 06 2014 "When you think of the places where you’re likely to encounter mindfulness meditation -- like a yoga studio or a temple or a serene health retreat -- British Parliament is probably the last place you would think of. With a highly charged atmosphere that sometimes even erupts in shouting matches on the debate floor, it’s hard to imagine any kind of mindful practice taking place in Westminster. But last week, the British Parliament launched an all-party group given the task of exploring the uses of mindfulness meditation in healthcare, education, and the criminal justice system. To mark the beginning of the group’s efforts, prominent politicians and public figures like former ministers Lord Haworth and Jim Fitzpatrick came together with advocates of mindfulness meditation, such as comedian Ruby Wax, to experience the benefits of meditation for themselves."  [From Britist Parliament Stops to Meditate]  

Thinking Of Our Beloved Conrad Posted by Nipun Mehta, Jun 02 2014 For more than a decade, Conrad Pritscher has been blessing the work of ServiceSpace. Early on, he would make really thoughtful comments across our various portals, and his resonance for our values really showed in his gentle ways. Bit by bit, we picked up different things about him -- like the fact that he lives in the same same small town in Ohio where Rev. Heng Sure grew up (Toledo), or that he had been a professor for decades. Every so often, he would send in a small monetary donation as well. Everything about him was so measured, thoughtful and sweet. When he wrote an independent book, Einstein and Zen, he asked us for permission to use material from our sites -- and we happily gave him blanket permission. Along the way, he started development friendships with couple people in the ecosystem -- particularly Somik, around the weekly Awakin readings. Soon, ... Read Full Story

Conrad From Ohio Posted by Somik Raha, May 15 2014 Over the last years, I've had a growing friendship with Conrad -- as he comments on Awakin readings. Conrad lives in Ohio, is in his late 70s, has written couple of books, used to be professor, and is most passionate about transforming our education system. Just a very sweet human being. Below is an excerpt from an unexpected email exchange I had with him today ... I was in the hospital last Friday, and returned home yesterday after 7 days stay. They first diagnosed me with pneumonia and then changed it to lung cancer. I am somewhat weaker and slowed down so I may not be responding to Awakin Readings as I have in the past; however, I would still love to continue receiving what you send on Fridays in case I have more energy to respond. Thanks to all of you and ServiceSpace, I find I am ready to go or stay, which is to be in the present and to accept what is happening about things I cannot change. ServiceSpace has been more educational for me over the years than any of my previous schooling. I hope you guys continue the great work you are doing. All of you have my deep gratitude.  

Yesterday At Awakin Santa Clara Posted by Bonnie Rose, May 15 2014 Rev. Marc Laponce and myself flew in from Los Angeles to be part of the Awakin Circle yesterday. So much joy, laughter, and love while talking about important things. As Marc joyously said, "'Maybe' there are no words to convey my gratitude for the experience of meeting everyone, and sharing that sweet, inspiring, and sacred circle in the Mehta home … but 'maybe' you'll sense the energy behind these words and they will therefore be more than adequate than all my words! Amongst the many things I gained from this experience was a deeper trust of that inner voice that tells me to do something even when I have no idea 'why.' All my experience in the ServiceSpace community yesterday were profound and left me feeling deep gratitude." :) Earlier in the day, as we swapped fun stories with Nipun, I was reminded of two beautiful poems of St. Francis:     

Financial Versus Non-Financial Motivation Posted by Nipun Mehta, May 15 2014 Read an article in the morning that opened with: "It seems like common sense: a larger reward encourages a greater effort. So if you need to inspire a person or team to strive harder, an obvious tactic is to offer more money. Reality, however, is not that simple."  Indeed.   We live in a world where lot of research is showing that money talks.  Subsequently, corporations are offering $1,700 a year to get employees to work out and drop a few pounds, governments are doling out cash rewards if you quit smoking (especially pregnant women), and vouchers to help pregnant women get out of their addiction.  Last Valentine's Day, there was the story of a couple who paid each other to do all the chores around the house. :)  We are paying kids to go to school. In Houston, a private foundation granted $1.5 million to reward fifth-graders (and their parents!) when they master ... Read Full Story