Customer Reviews

1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life

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One of my goals/resolutions for 2012 is to incorporate intentional acts of kindness as a regular part of my daily life. About the same time I committed to that, I ran across this title that became available at our library... 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life by Linda Cohen. What perfect timing... This gave me some ideas and inspiration for things I could do above and beyond the "say something nice to someone" efforts. It also caused me to think outside of the more traditional person-oriented acts of kindness.

Contents:

Food For The Body, Nourishment For The Soul (food); Change The Toilet Paper (paying it forward); Volunteer With A Vengeance (volunteer work); Clear The Clutter (donations); Dollars And Sense (money); Slow Down (driving); My Home Away From Home (synagogue-related mitzvahs); The Reusable Bag Lady (environmental conscience); In The Doghouse (animals); What Goes Around Comes Around (teachable family moments); Expressions Of Gratitude (a hundred ways to say thank you); Blow Out The Candles (birthdays); Do Unto Others (thought, speech, and action); Oh, The Places We'll Go (traveling and vacations); The Final Good-bye (death and grieving); Resources; List of Charities

Ms. Cohen lost her father in 2006, and people were asked to donate to a small group of charities in his name as a mitzvah of tzedakah (donating money in someone's memory to a charity). This mitzvah, or blessing in English, prompted her to start thinking about beginning her own mitzvah project. That idea turned into her 1000 Mitzvahs project (with a .org website of the same name). This project, while outwardly focused on others, also helped her deal with the emotions and grief of her father's death. She found that by giving kindness to others, she also changed her entire perspective on life and the role she could play in the lives of others.

Fortunately, the book doesn't try and list all 1000 mitzvahs that are covered on her blog site. Instead, she has grouped a number of them into basic categories that give you an idea of the types of things you can do in various parts of your life. Some might not be applicable to your situation (such as synagogue-related mitzvahs), but it doesn't take much effort to apply those same activities and actions to similar groups that do align with your life. For me, it was interesting to see how acts of kindness could be done in situations that weren't people-oriented. One example was asking for a regular cup when going into Starbucks to have a coffee that would be consumed on-site. Why use paper resources and generate waste if there is no need to? Another example was donating pet supplies to a local animal shelter. Yes, kindness to animals is definitely worthy of pursuit, but it wasn't something that I had connected to my own efforts.

1,000 Mitzvahs is a good book to read regardless of your particular religious (or non-religious) affiliations. You won't relate to every one of the acts she describes, as some won't be applicable to your current life situations. But there are more than enough other mitzvahs you can learn from and incorporate into your own life. It might even motivate you to start your own personal "daily acts of kindness" project. It's a given that you'll make the world a little better, and you'll also change yourself in the process.

Disclosure:

Obtained From: Library

Payment: Borrowed

After hearing you speak at TEDx Crestmoor Park women last night, I said YES to your call to action - a journey of 1000 Mitzvah's! I signed up because of YOU! You inspired me deeply. Your message was authentic and powerful - straight from the heart. I also signed up to take the challenge to get out of MY head - as a "recovering" self-help junkie, too often I can be my worst critic. Even though I teach self-acceptance to others', I often forget it for myself. I find that by being of service, I am most at peace. Thank you for the opportunity.

This is great book with many valuable ideas to help in

leading a life filled with kindness. I'm happy to have

it in my library.

Linda Cohen has developed a wonderful, thoughtful, and idea filled book for people to perform mitzvot (good deeds). Her personal story mixed with simple and clear "acts" on how to make the world a better place is truly inspiring. I encourage everyone to get a copy, share it with your entire family, and commit to enhancing your life and the lives of others.

I gave this a 5 star rating, not because I couldn't put it down, but because I look forward to grabbing moments to read various pages at random. It's a treat. My children feel the same way.

After attending the book signing at Powell's Cedar Hills, I got home in time for bedtime stories. As my children are 7 and 10, they still like to have me read their current book to them at night. My son was first that night and so my daughter grabbed 1,000 Mitzvahs as she was waiting. She didn't want to put it down. She was inspired and kept interrupting us to share an excerpt. She enjoyed learning more about Jewish culture and looking for similarities between all giving cultures that promote good deeds and giving from the heart. When it was her turn to be read to, my nearly-7 son had his turn with Linda Cohen's book. After reading time he asked me, "you know the 1000 Mitzvah book? There is a story about the teenage boy who dies. It was really touching." He didn't find any sadness - only inspiration. We all enjoy just picking it up and reading random pages. Reminds me of daily meditation books, yet these are more of a call to action rather than just sitting peacefully waiting to read the next one the following day.

This is a wonderful gift book for anyone and perfect for our small car-trip library. Spending part of the evening with Linda at the book event added to my experience, but I would have been thrilled if anyone gave me this book. It's full of treasures, easy ideas and inspiration.

I am a clinical psychologist. I found Ms. Cohen's book to be about a profoundly simple, but not always easy way to be alive. Linda writes about transforming grief through performing "mitzvah's" or loving kindnesses. She began as a way to honor her father's life and passing. But her book is really about living in the here and now, and making powerful, seemingly simple connections with others as everyday acts of giving of yourself, and being in service.

She writes of "...the journey of loss and grief as a trip across a raging river. When you begin the journey of processing grief, you suddenly realize there is not getting around it. It has to be embraced, digested, and pondered, and ultimately passed through. When I began trying to cross the river of grief, I felt as if the cold water of the river was rushing over me. I felt alive and aware but also exposed, raw, and numb. Others reached out to meto extend a hand and help me cross the river...While crossing the river, I met others who were crossing their own river of grief. We shared an experience of loss, but each one of us was ultimately on our own to cross that river...I embraced as many hands as I could and took that support while I was in the water. There were moments of normalcy, when I stopped on a rock protruding out of the water, and other times when I slipped back into the cold wetness. Slowly, I made progress crossing the river. Eventually, I offered my hand to someone who was still in the river and encouraged them to keep crossing. There always people on both sides of the river. everyone helping each other get across.

Getting across your river of grief through acts of service and kindness to others. What healing therapy could be better! I will recommend "1000 mitzvahs" to my patients, and friends.