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Cool to Be Kind: Random Acts and How to Commit Them

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It was the Dalai Lama who said, "Kindness is my religion." No matter how spiritual we may think we are, if we are not genuinely aware of our potential for kindness and exercise it often, we are falling short of the mark. Being kind is a heart-felt action and one that transcends culture, class, language, sex and religion. It is the great equalizer.

Four young University of Victoria men knew how essential this equalizer is on the planet today and knew that they could awaken others to its necessity. Calling themselves the Kindness Crew, they planned and executed a three-month, cross-Canada, motorhome-driven Extreme Kindness Tour in 2002 that put the importance of kindness back on the map! From roofing to dishwashing, from garbage collecting to hugging, these four enthusiastic youths modeled random acts of kindness everywhere they went. And what did they ask in exchange? To pay it forward. The ripple effect of paying it forward meant that their contribution in town after town could be the mere beginnings of a greater kindness generated by the community itself.

Their Canadian tour was recorded by all four men - Val Litwin, Erik Hanson, Chris Bratseth and Brad Stokes - as their diarized story Cool to be Kind: Random Acts and How to Commit Them. Sponsored by anyone and everyone, the Extreme Kindness Tour was successful in accomplishing what it had set out to do. And that was just the beginning....

Best selling author Catherine Ryan Hyde, the inspiration behind the Pay it Forward Movement, introduces us to the Kindness Crew, a group of four guys, Val, Brad, Erik and Chris who take a 3 month road trip across Canada. Not your usual 'coming of age' or Thelma and Louise road trip. This is a random acts of kindness tour. What's inspiring about their story is that anyone can do these small kindnesses and make a big difference. If you want a little more happiness in your own life, try some of these small acts. These guys are on a roll and I am eagerly awaiting their next book.