Deliberate Acts of Kindness: Service as a Spiritual Practice (Paperback)

by Meredith Gould (Author) "Our spiritual forebears knew there was something special about feeding the hungry, helping the poor, welcoming the stranger, and lifting up the brokenhearted..." (more)
Key Phrases: Contemplative Writing Exercise, Meredith Gould, Deliberate Acts of Kindness

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An indispensable guide to the spiritual and the practical aspects of devoting one’s time and energies to the service of others.

Deliberate Acts of Kindness is for people who are ready to supplement"random acts of kindness" with intentional acts of generosity, decency, and integrity. More than simply a handbook for volunteers, it explores the significance of service as an expression of spirituality and the commitment to something greater than oneself.

Meredith Gould guides readers through their journeys, from recognizing when they are ready to answer the call to service to finding the right place to donate their time and talents. She offers invaluable advice on discovering the types of work that best suit their personalities and the areas in which they can make the greatest contributions. There is helpful information on how to get involved, as well as sensible suggestions about what to do when things go wrong in a service situation.

An easy-to-read mix of tips, quotations, reflections, and short narrative passages, Deliberate Acts of Kindness presents a comprehensive, honest look at what service is like on a day-to-day basis. Its insights will help new volunteers and veterans alike negotiate the practical difficulties that sometimes arise and achieve the spiritual maturity that comes from answering the call to service.




From the Inside Flap
An indispensable guide to the spiritual and the practical aspects of devoting one?s time and energies to the service of others.

Deliberate Acts of Kindness is for people who are ready to supplement"random acts of kindness" with intentional acts of generosity, decency, and integrity. More than simply a handbook for volunteers, it explores the significance of service as an expression of spirituality and the commitment to something greater than oneself.

Meredith Gould guides readers through their journeys, from recognizing when they are ready to answer the call to service to finding the right place to donate their time and talents. She offers invaluable advice on discovering the types of work that best suit their personalities and the areas in which they can make the greatest contributions. There is helpful information on how to get involved, as well as sensible suggestions about what to do when things go wrong in a service situation.

An easy-to-read mix of tips, quotations, reflections, and short narrative passages, Deliberate Acts of Kindness presents a comprehensive, honest look at what service is like on a day-to-day basis. Its insights will help new volunteers and veterans alike negotiate the practical difficulties that sometimes arise and achieve the spiritual maturity that comes from answering the call to service.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Image (January 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385502435
• ISBN-13: 978-0385502436
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #855,966 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hey! I'm the author..., January 29, 2002

By	Meredith Gould "http://meredithgould.blogspot... (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

And there's some stuff I want you to know about me and my book.

First, if you know anything about book publishing, you know that it's like elephant gestation. IOW, it normally takes at least two years before a book *idea* makes it into print. I'm telling you this because I happen to think it is very cosmically weird that I proposed this book *way* before the horrific events of 9/11/01.

This leads neatly to my next point: I'm a sociologist by education and training,which certainly led me to suspect that service would be the Next Big Important Thing after decades of unrelenting "Me" focus. Especially among aging Baby Boomers like moi.

As for identifying service as a spiritual practice, I credit years of traipsing the path to spirit and...well...I explain more in the "Foreword."

I hope you enjoy reading my book and that it inspires you to get involved in--or deepen your existing--service to others.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Finding My Place According to Meredith Gould", January 27, 2002

By A Customer

From the tzedakah of Judaism to St. Benedict to Buddhism's dana and Hinduism's seva, Meredith Gould highlights the significance of good works in all spiritual/religious traditions.

This is a very nifty--and practical--book! She holds our hands as she guides us along the journey of doing good--the upside and what she calls the "shadow side of service." She teaches us when and how to say yes or no, how to manage volunteer assigments, and even <gasp> how to recognize burnout and what to do about it.

She writes with great and gentle humor, warning newcomers to community work of booby traps they may trip over while on the path to kindness and self-fulfillment.

This is a tips book for people who seek to aid their communities in any way they can and for people, already active volunteers, who wish to probe further into what they and their organizations can accomplish.

What a treasure.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What the World Needs Now, January 30, 2002

By	Suzanne Grenager (Lewisberry, PA United States) - See all my reviews

WONDERFUL!! The world needs this now more than ever! Good stuff about boundaries, and levels of service, and how it figures in religious traditions, as well as how to figure out whether the alleged call is of the heart or of the mind.

Reading this has helped me sort out intriguing doubts and questions I've been having about some of the service I've seemed called to lately. I got both clarity and affirmation from this wise guidance that I'll not only use myself, but to help coach clients.

What's more, the material is beautifully organized, and expressed with the delightful, tongue-in-cheek irreverent and eminently readable wisdom that is Gould's trademark as a writer.