# 386: Spend Kindness
Kindness is free to share and my favorite recipe for chai tea.
It’s a challenging time for many of us but I want to share with you something we all can do every day.
Imagine for a moment, if you will, that each of us has a great big treasure chest. Let’s call that treasure chest our “kindness account.” I have one. You have one. Every person you meet has one. Each day when we wake up each of our individual chests are full of kindness. They are like saving accounts with interest that keeps building and building.
To keep the chest filling up and growing, each day all of the kindness in each chest must be completely spent. When we close our eyes at the end of the day to sleep there should be absolutely nothing left inside of it.
Now the magic happens! When we wake up in the morning, each one of our chests is full to the top once again. Our task at hand, and the most important one of all, is to spend all that kindness in any, and every way we can, each and every day. You can fill in the blanks as to how, when, where, and with whom you share your kindness. Spend Kindness...how about that for a job description!
Kindness is a currency that wants to be shared. When it is shared, it returns to us with interest that is doubled, tripled, and more. We may not see it returned in the ways that we expect, or when we expect, but be assured that it always will return, and usually at the perfect time, too.
Spending kindness, brings kindness. It doesn’t matter if we are acknowledged for spreading kindness. It doesn’t matter if someone knows or doesn’t know what we are doing. Maybe it just starts with a smile and a hello to the next person you see. Doing that doesn’t cost even one cent.
Now, I know you may be thinking, “Well that’s nice, but what about those people who will take advantage of me?” I’m sure all of us have had the experience of being taken advantage of at one time or another. That’s life, right? And, life gives us lessons to learn. Let’s try to hold the thought that most folks are not going to take advantage of us but will pass kindness on to others, too. When they do, they will find their own kindness chest refilled each day and when they open it up each morning they will be greeted with the words, “Be Kind.”
Oh and while you are at it, be sure to spend a little of that kindness currency on yourself, too. Make that cup of tea, enjoy a breather, take that walk, feel the rain on your face, smell the roses, or just take a deep breath and be grateful to be alive.
Love,
What I’m Listening To
Mozart Concerto for Clarinet in C Major
This always brings some happiness to my day. Enjoy!
What I’m Brewing
Recipe: Chai Spice Tea
What You Will Need
40 pods green cardamom
9 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
1 tablespoons fennel seeds
1/2 cup fresh ginger root, grated
3 cups milk (almond, oat or whatever milk you like is fine, too)
a few saffron threads
2/3 cup sugar
6 teabags good quality black tea
Now To Make It
Grind the cardamom pods in a spice grinder and set aside. I use an electric coffee grinder that I have wiped out well.
Grind cinnamon and fennel seeds in a spice grinder.
Place water in a small pot and turn heat to high.
Add the cinnamon, fennel, and ginger to the pot, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
In a large sauce pan, place almond milk and saffron. Turn heat to medium. When the milk starts to simmer, add the sugar, and stir. Turn off heat and set aside.
Add the tea bags and ground cardamom to the spice water. Stir once. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
Using a mesh strainer, pour the spiced tea water into the almond milk. Stir and serve.
Notes
I like this chai best when it is made with freshly ground spices. I use my electric coffee grinder that I have wiped out well. A mortar and pestle are great, too, although it does take a bit longer.
Best thing I’ve read in a long time! 🥰
Thank you, Kate. Your kindness is boundless.