Profiles of kindness
Ruthie Priest, Dental Assistant & Hiker
Where does your kindness come from?
My kindness definitely comes from my mom! She is, hands down, the kindest, most thoughtful and caring person I know. She has Jesus’s love shining through her, showing everyone unconditional love and acceptance. She is the prime example of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. I am so blessed to have her in my life!
What brings joy and peace to your life?
Relationships bring great joy in my life! I have the most amazing husband and best friend and am so thankful for our great marriage! My parents, siblings and 7 nieces (soon to be 8!!!) are absolutely wonderful and I am beyond grateful for the love and laughter we share! I have also been blessed with amazing friends and mentors who always love and support me!
How do you honor your mind, body, and spirit daily?
I honor my mind, body and spirit in an array of ways. I read my Bible daily which really helps strengthen, calm and renew my mind and spirit. I pray daily on my walk to and from work which fills my mind and spirit with gratitude. I attend church on weekends and love to volunteer there! My husband and I workout together almost everyday by going to the gym, hiking mountains or simply going for walks. It’s great for our bodies and our relationship! I also love listening to church sermons and Christian music while I cook and do laundry, it’s so uplifting and it’s terrific “me time.” I sleep at least 8 hours most nights and eat a lot of whole plant based food, although I’m not opposed to farm fresh eggs or chocolate 😊
What inspires you in life?
All my friends with special needs and disabilities are so inspiring!! It’s absolutely amazing to see such wonderful people overcome so many obstacles and still be so full of happiness! They are so uplifting and inspiring and such a joy to be around!
Mark Anderson, Visual Storyteller & Gardener
Where does your kindness come from?
Without a doubt, kindness was instilled to me as a young boy. I must have heard from my dear dad speak those two magical words "Be Kind" a hundred-plus times growing up. What a gift that he gave to me and my siblings.
My dad was your quintessential WWII gentleman. He led a life of kindness. He was humble. Even at his funeral, standing room only in a farming community in NW Iowa, I delivered his eulogy and the theme of his life was kindness. I can honestly say that I have never heard him say a bad word about anyone. He was my sterling example of how to lead a life of kindness. I keep a picture of him set as wallpaper on my phone of him fishing and it reminds me daily to be kind. If you asked him how he was doing — his typical response was, “Oh I never have a bad day."
How do you cultivate wellness in your spirit on a daily basis?
I make time for quiet time. Time in my garden or the deck just to soak in God’s Grace. I like to meditate and enjoy nature. I love watching birds in my backyard and I find stillness in doing that. Sometimes I feel that being with nature in my backyard is going to church. One of my favorite bibles verses is “Be still and know that I am God." It’s those quiet times that we can feel God’s love. I like to think that praying is talking to God, but meditation is listening to God.
What is your favorite feeling?
I am at my most happiest when I keep life simple and being mindful of the choices I make. Having more doesn’t always make us happy. I often think of the life of a Buddhist Monk — they are often considered the happiest people in the world, yet they have so little. But having little can be a tremendous blessing. As the old saying goes, less is more. When there is less stuff in your life, you have more room in your life to enjoy little things like nature, birding, gardening, being quiet, reading a book, etc. Those things bring me joy and creativity.
When you're struggling or down, what helps you feel better?
Going to my quiet space. I also try to get out my head and focus on other people. Sometimes if I am feeling a little anxious or stressed during a business meeting, instead of thinking about what I am about to say, I try my best to listen and honor the person that is talking, to honor their spirit. I call it honoring presence. It’s a magical technique that gets me out of my own EGO. Speaking of EGO, a wonderful acronym for EGO is Edging God Out. When my EGO is roaring I am too into myself — and that is when I need to honor someone else presence. That gets me out of any funk that I may be in.
Without a doubt my happiness factor is greatly improved when I try to have balance in my life — body, mind and soul. That means being aware of eating healthy foods in moderation, getting some exercise and creating boundaries to enjoy quiet meditative time. I’m certainly not perfect, but it’s a daily reminder to try to live life in balance.
Your favorite quote or inspiration to share with others.
Too blessed to be stressed — and of course, be kind!