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Can You Donate Contact Lenses?

Can You Donate Contact Lenses?

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A woman wants to donate her contact lenses.

Published March 9, 2023

Got some spare contact lenses you’re not using? You’re probably thinking of donating them; that’s why you’re reading this post. But can you donate contact lenses?

Yes, you can definitely donate contact lenses. But you can’t just donate any spare contact lenses you got lying around.

Though the donation policies differ, charitable organizations only accept unused and unexpired contact lenses – and for obvious reasons.

Aside from being totally unsanitary, sharing contact lenses also increases the risk of infection. You may not realize it, but there’s an entire community of bacteria living right in our eyeballs. So letting other people use contact lenses you’ve already worn may cause cross-contamination.

If you’re planning to donate contact lenses, here’s a quick guide to how and where you can do so. But first, let’s discuss the benefits of donating your contact lenses.

Why Donate Contact Lenses?

Here are some reasons why you should donate your unused and unexpired contact lenses instead of throwing them in the dumpster:

1. You’re Helping Other People See Better

There are lots of visually-impaired people around the world who can’t afford prescription glasses and contact lenses or even a trip to the optometrist. Getting contact lenses for free would already be a huge help for them.

2. You’re Helping Mother Nature

If you throw your contact lenses away, they’ll inevitably end up in a landfill somewhere. Since they’re not biodegradable, they break up into tiny microplastics and contaminate ecosystems. Studies have even pointed to contact lenses as one of the contributors to increased plastic pollution around the world.

By donating your extra contact lenses away, you’re saving them from the landfill and helping Mother Nature.

3. You’re Giving Hope

A pair of contact lenses may not mean that much to you, but for others, it can be their lifeline. For instance, a visually-impaired student may find it hard to keep up with schoolwork. While an aging mother who supports her family by sewing dresses may lose her job if her vision continues to deteriorate.

Donating your contact lenses, therefore, is not only about helping other people see better. You’re also giving them hope and a chance at a better life.

Old eyeglasses and contact lenses are ready to donate to those in need.

Where to Donate Contact Lenses

There are several charitable organizations that accept contact lenses. Here are some of them:

1. Goodwill

Goodwill is one of the largest charitable organizations in the US. They also have multiple locations across the country. So wherever you are, you probably have a Goodwill outlet a short drive away.

Though the donation policies vary, most Goodwill outlets accept unused and unexpired contact lenses. They then sell those in their thrift store to fund their various charity programs. You can use their store locator to find drop-off centers nearest you.

2. Bausch and Lomb

Bausch and Lomb’s contact lens recycling program is the only one of its kind in the US. While all the other organizations on this list only accept unopened and unexpired contact lenses, Bausch and Lomb accepts used ones. However, they don’t give those donated lenses out to those who need them. Instead, they are recycled by a third-party recycling company.

They accept any brand of contact lenses as well as blister packs and bottles for contact lens solutions. For every 10 pounds of donations collected, they also donate $10 to Optometry Giving Sight, a global fundraising to prevent unnecessary blindness.

You can drop-off your locations at any of their recycling centers nationwide.

3. DonateContacts

Based in Boca Raton, Florida, DonateContacts is run by a couple of teenagers who want to make a difference in the world. They accept unexpired and unused contact lenses and ship them off to Feed the Children, a non-profit that helps impoverished children around the world.

It’s important to note, however, that DonateContacts is NOT a 501c3 organization. As such, it cannot provide donation receipts for tax purposes.

How to Donate Contact Lenses

As I said, you can’t just donate any contact lenses you got lying around. Contacts are regulated medical devices. As such, there are certain safety standards when handling or giving them out.

So before you pack your donations, make sure to check out these tips first.

1. Make sure that your contact lenses are unused and unexpired.

Unless you’re donating it for recycling, make sure that your contact lenses are unexpired and unused. Aside from complying with charitable organization policies, it also prevents cross-contamination of eye infections. And yes, this applies even if you’ve only tried on the contacts once.

2. Get in touch with the organization you’re planning to donate to.

As I said, each charitable organization has different donation policies. So it’s a good practice to get in touch with them first to know the do’s and dont’s when making a donation. You don’t want to drive a couple of miles to their drop-off location only to find out they’re not accepting your donations.

3. Pack your donations properly.

They might not look like it but contacts tend to be very sensitive. If not packed properly, it could get damaged and end up damaging the eyes of the person receiving them. So if you’ll mail or ship your donation, make sure to wrap it in a bubble wrap or any protective covering or storage container.

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

How and Where to Volunteer to Help the Homeless

How and Where to Volunteer to Help the Homeless

A group of people happily volunteered to help the homeless.

Published January 25, 2023

Volunteering is one of the best ways to help the homeless. Most organizations that help the homeless usually don’t have the funds to hire workers. As such, they rely on volunteers to get things done.

But how do you go about it? Where can you volunteer to help the homeless?

No worries. That’s what this blog is for. To help you get started on your volunteerism journey, here’s a quick guide on where and how to volunteer to help the homeless.

Where to Volunteer

Here are some of the places that help the homeless and usually accept volunteers:

1. Homeless Shelters

If you’re looking to help the homeless, this is the most obvious place to volunteer.

Homeless shelters offer temporary homes to homeless individuals and families. Most shelters offer both accommodation and food to their residents.

With this, there’s a wide range of work you can do as a homeless shelter volunteer. If you’re fond of interacting with people, you can serve food in the kitchen. Interested in crafts or construction? You can volunteer to beautify or repair things around the shelter too. You can even help out with some admin work if you prefer working in the office.

2. Soup Kitchen

Soup kitchens provide free and freshly-cooked meals not just to the homeless but to anyone who can’t afford to buy food. Some soup kitchens like Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen also provide other necessities like clothes and hygiene kits to their guests.

Like homeless shelters, soup kitchens are mostly staffed by volunteers. There are also a lot of volunteer tasks you can do, like cooking, serving food, cleaning, sorting the donations, and doing inventories, among others.

3. Domestic Abuse Shelters

Women who are victims of domestic abuse are often housed in domestic abuse shelters. Most of the time, they come with their children.

This is why volunteering in domestic abuse shelters can be a different experience than in other charitable organizations. Here you’ll be dealing with women, children, and even babies who are still reeling from a traumatic (and often violent) experience.

But volunteering in these places will also help you learn so much about life. You’ll hear stories of strength, courage, and resilience. You’ll learn to understand and empathize with others and learn more about yourself in the process.

A group of people happily volunteered in a domestic abuse shelter to help the homeless with a traumatic experience.

4. Food Banks

Unlike other organizations on this list, do not help the homeless directly. Instead, distribute food to communities and hunger-relief charities like soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food pantries, and the like.

Like in other charities, there are also a lot of things you can do as a foodbank volunteer. You can help in collecting food donations, sorting and packing the food items, and delivering them to their intended recipients.

5. Emergency Response Programs

Disasters often leave a trail of destruction and a huge number of homeless people. That’s what emergency response programs are for. They provide emergency accommodation to people who lost their homes in natural and man-made disasters.

If you have disaster response training, this is the best place to volunteer. You can use your skills to help the victims. But even if you have no specialized skills whatsoever, there are still a lot of things you can do. You can help cook food, distribute food items and other basic necessities, or even administer basic first aid.

How to Volunteer

Now that you know some of your options, here’s how you can start volunteering in these places:

1. Choose a place you want to volunteer in

Obviously, the first thing you need to do is decide where you want to volunteer. Most of the charitable organizations mentioned above are located in local communities. So you can just drive around in your community, and you’ll surely find a place that needs volunteers like you.

2. Determine their volunteer needs

Each organization has different volunteer needs. Some may require volunteers with disaster response training, while others might need volunteers who have experience with babies.

So when you find a place you want to volunteer in, get in touch with them and ask what types of volunteers they accept.

3. Encourage others to volunteer

Being a volunteer can be a very satisfying and life-changing experience. So share that joy with others too. Encourage your family, friends, classmates, co-workers, and everyone you know to volunteer too. The more people will share their time, skills, and talents, the more difference we can make.

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

Sharing the Love of God in Simple Ways

Sharing the Love of God in Simple Ways

Someone who shares God's love with others.

Published January 25, 2023

There’s this notion that when you share something, you’ll have less of it. Well, that’s not necessarily true.

Sharing your knowledge, for instance, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be less knowledgeable. You’re still as knowledgeable as you were before. Only now, more people can benefit from the knowledge that you shared.

That’s how it works with sharing the love of God too. The more you share it, the more it grows, and more people can experience it for themselves. It can light up the darkest of places and set aflame even the coldest of hearts.

So if you want more people to experience the wonder of His love, here are some simple ways you can share God’s love with others:

1. Share Your Meals

You may not realize it, but the food we eat is one of God’s ultimate expressions of love for us. I mean, you wouldn’t be enjoying that cake right now if He didn’t give farmers the resources to grow the ingredients for that cake. 

As such, sharing our meal is one of the best ways to share the love of God. It not only gives hope to those who have nothing to eat. It also helps build communities.

Have you noticed that when people gather together, there’s usually food at the table? When you eat together, you’re not only sharing food. You’re also sharing stories and laughter. It builds trust and camaraderie, which helps bring people together. And isn’t that just how God’s love works?

2. Share Encouraging Words

When you’re at the darkest time of your life, it can be very hard to find or even feel God’s love. It’s like being stuck in an endless tunnel with no hope in sight. In times like this, an encouraging word or two can be like the light at the end of that tunnel.

This is why encouraging others is one of the best ways to share God’s love. Just like God’s love, words of encouragement can light up even the darkest of days. It makes the other person feel loved and gives them hope that all isn’t lost yet. It helps them see God’s grace despite their struggles and his unending love despite the direness of their circumstances.

Friends who happily share God's love.

3. Share Your Talent

All of us have our own talents. Some people excel in academics, while others are brilliant at performing arts. Whatever talent you may have, know that all of that came from God. 

Sharing your talent, therefore, is a way of praising God and sharing His love. After all, He gave us those talents because of His love for us. So when we use those talents according to His purpose, we’re sharing His love with the world.

4. Lend an Ear

When things get overwhelming, we often find ourselves pouring our hearts out to God. We know that no matter how silly or trivial our concerns may seem to others, our ever-loving God will never tire of listening to us. It’s during these times that we truly feel His love for us.

In the same way, lending our ears to others lets them know that there’s always someone willing to listen to them. It helps them feel less alone and more loved. Thus, by listening to their concerns and frustrations, we help them feel the same love that we ourselves received from God.

5. Share Your Time

Unlike God’s love, time is not infinite. We only have a set amount of time here on Earth. This makes it one of the most precious gifts we receive from God.

Sharing our time with others, therefore, is sharing God’s most precious gift. This makes time one of the greatest gifts you can give others. 

Also, your willingness to share something so precious and limited like time is, in itself, a testament of your appreciation for the love that you received from God. When you share your time, the other person feels that love too.

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

50+ Quotes on Mindfulness to Help You Be More Present

50+ Quotes on Mindfulness to Help You Be More Present

A woman is focusing on practicing mindfulness after reading inspirational quotes about mindfulness.

Published January 17, 2023

In a world where almost everything can be done in an instant, sitting down and doing nothing seems to have become a luxury. We’ve become so focused on surviving in a fast-paced world that we tend to lose our connection to ourselves and the people around us. 

That’s why practicing mindfulness is such a necessity nowadays. In the dictionary, mindfulness is defined as a mental state achieved by focusing our awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting our feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

In essence, practicing mindfulness not only calms the mind. It also allows you to communicate with yourself and acknowledge the thoughts and emotions that you’ve been trying to ignore. In the process, you learn to make peace with yourself and be more grateful for everything that you have.

Focusing on the present moment also helps us let go of the niggling worries and anxieties at the back of our minds. That’s why, when used in therapy, mindfulness can help reduce stress and anxiety, ease depression, improve cognitive function, and build better relationships.

So if you’re ready to start your mindfulness journey, these mindfulness quotes may help.

Inspirational Quotes About Mindfulness

  1. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, and concentrate the mind on the present moment. – Buddha
  2. The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. – Jon Kaba Zinn
  3. To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid. – Unknown
  4. When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves. – Jack Kornfield
  5. Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter. – Amit Ray
  6. Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, melting like a snowflake. – Francis Bacon Sr.
  7. What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now. – Buddha
  8. Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive. – Thích Nhất Hạnh
  9. If you’re determined to think of yourself as limited, fearful, vulnerable, or scarred by past experience, know only that you have chosen to do so. The opportunity to experience yourself differently is always available. – Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
  10. When you focus on what works for you and what doesn’t, you step out of that comparison cycle and spiral into your real, beautiful life. – Robyn Conley Downs
  11. With awareness, we can make conscious choices instead of letting our habitual thoughts and patterns run the show. – Tamara Levitt
  12. Be where you are, otherwise, you will miss your life. – Buddha
  13. Step outside for a while – calm your mind. It is better to hug a tree than to bang your head against a wall continually. – Rasheed Ogunlaru
  14. Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it. – Sharon Salzberg
  15. The art of peaceful living comes down to living compassionately & wisely. – Allan Lokos
  16. If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath. – Amit Ray
  17. The Way is not in the sky, the Way is in the heart. – Buddha
  18. Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life. – Marcus Aurelius
  19. In today’s rush, we all think too much–seek too much–want too much–and forget about the joy of just being. – Eckhart Tolle

Quotes About the Beauty of Mindfulness

  1. Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind. – Joseph Goldstein
  2. Mindfulness helps us to live in harmony with our thoughts, words, and actions. – Amit Ray
  3. Pause practice creates an open doorway to the sacredness of the place in which you find yourself. – Perma Chodron
  4. Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. – Jon Kabat Zinn
  5. Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think. – Buddha
  6. Mindfulness clears the windshield of the mind so that we can see things as they really are – Travis Eliot
  7. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. – Thích Nhất Hạnh
  8. The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are moments when we touch one another. – Jack Kornfield
  9. Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already. – Perma Chodron
  10. Every time we ponder a thought, act on an impulse, or dwell on a desire, we are setting in motion a cause that will have a future effect. Mindfulness enables us to choose wisely. – Tamara Levitt
  11. What would it be like if I could accept life – accept this moment – exactly as it is? – Tara Brach
  12. Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance. – Amit Ray
  13. Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn’t more complicated than that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it. – Sylvia Boorstein
A woman sitting by the lake and taking in the beauty of nature to stay calm and focused while remembering the mindfulness quotes she read.

Mindfulness Quotes for Work

  1. This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play. – Alan Watts
  2. Work hard in silence. Let your success be your noise. – Frank Ocean
  3. It takes courage to say yes to rest and play, in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a symbol status. – Brene Brown
  4. The feeling that any task is a nuisance will soon disappear if it is done in mindfulness. – Thích Nhất Hạnh
  5. When you’re feeling frazzled, put all of your attention on the breath. It’s a portal into the present moment, the best remedy for stress. – Ellen Barrett
  6. Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes … including you. – Anne Lamott

Short Mindfulness Quotes

  1. Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. – Buddha
  2. The perfect moment is this one. – Jon Kabat Zinn
  3. That’s life: starting over, one breath at a time. – Sharon Salzberg
  4. You cannot control the results, only your actions. – Allan Lokos
  5. How you look at it is pretty much how you’ll see it. – Rasheed Ogunlaru
  6. We cannot force the development of mindfulness. – Allan Lokos
  7. You only lose what you cling to. – Buddha
  8. A mind set in its ways is wasted. – Eric Schmidt
  9. The stiller you are the calmer life is. – Rasheed Ogunlaru
  10. Don’t let life harden your heart. – Pema Chödrön
  11. Paradise is not a place; it’s a state of consciousness. – Sri Chinmoy
  12. Forever is composed of nows. – Emily Dickinson

Funny Mindfulness Quotes

  1. If you’re too open-minded, your brain will fall out. – Unknown
  2. A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it isn’t open. – Frank Zappa
  3. Worrying is stupid. It’s like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain. – Whiz Kalifa
  4. It may look like I’m doing nothing, but in my head, I’m quite busy. – Unknown

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

How to Heal Abandonment Issues as an Adult

How to Heal Abandonment Issues as an Adult

A woman suffers from depression due to abandonment issues and tries to heal independently.

Published January 17, 2023

You may not realize it, but many of the mental health concerns you might be facing today stem from abandonment issues.

According to this article, the fear of being left alone can harm relationships in more ways than one. For one, it can lead to self-abandonment, which makes you more prone to depression. If not dealt with, it can also lead to a string of unfulfilling and even abusive relationships.

But how do you heal abandonment issues?

We all have different ways of dealing with our fears and traumas. So the process of healing can be different for each of us. But one thing is for sure: if you want to get over your abandonment issues, you need to understand it first.

What is a Fear of Abandonment?

As the name suggests, fear of abandonment is the persistent feeling of dread or anxiety that the people in your life will leave or reject you. It usually stems from experiences that leave a deep and often unaddressed trauma.

You see, losing something or someone is inevitable in life. Some of us have learned to cope with it. But if you have abandonment issues, you tend to feel an overwhelming fear in anticipation of that loss.

This fear causes you to subconsciously push people away from you while forming unhealthy attachments to the wrong people. In some cases, it may even lead to self-destructive behavior, which affects not just you but also the people around you.

What Causes Fear of Abandonment?

As I said, abandonment issues stem from traumatic experiences such as:

  • separation from one or both parents
  • death of a loved one
  • death of a beloved pet
  • being constantly misunderstood
  • lack of affection from the immediate family
  • childhood abuse (both physical and emotional)
  • abusive relationships
  • getting cheated on in current or previous relationships
  • constantly high stress levels
  • living in foster homes
  • traumatic accidents
  • emotionally unavailable parents

Signs of Abandonment Issues

Your fear of being abandoned and left behind can manifest in various ways, such as:

  • an overwhelming urge to please people
  • needing constant reassurance
  • attachment or codependency
  • fear of intimacy
  • inability to trust other people
  • sabotaging relationships
  • clinging to unhealthy relationships

In most cases, people with abandonment issues don’t realize they have it until it’s too late. This prevents them from seeking help and addressing the issue.

So if you or someone you know is exhibiting the above behavioral problems, know that there are things you can do to help them or yourself get over those fears.

A man standing on a boulder surrounded by seawater and recalling the memories of his dead loved ones reveals that he has abandonment issues.

How to Heal Abandonment Issues

If you want to heal your abandonment issues and build healthy relationships, the following tips can help:

1. Acknowledge Your Abandonment Issues

The first step to healing any kind of disorder is to diagnose the disorder. Similarly, the first step to healing your abandonment issues is to acknowledge that you have one.

Yes, it’s easier said than done. Admitting that you have abandonment issues requires facing emotions that you’ve buried for so long. Besides, acknowledging your fears of abandonment is tantamount to admitting that you are vulnerable – that other people have the power to hurt you.

But you see, you cannot begin your healing process if you cannot have an honest conversation with yourself. When you finally get the courage to confront yourself in the mirror, that’s when you know that you are ready to face your fears head-on.

2. Learn to Put Yourself First

When you’re afraid of being rejected or left behind, you tend to do everything to make them stay. You think that if you acquiesce to their wishes or give them whatever they want, they won’t have any reason to leave. Before you know it, you’re already becoming a doormat.

To allow yourself to heal, you need to learn to put yourself first. Prioritize your wants and needs. Define your boundaries, and don’t be afraid to say “no”. If something or someone makes you uncomfortable, don’t be scared to speak up about it. 

Yes, you may lose people this way. But remember that you can never please everyone. Besides, the people who’ll leave are not worth keeping anyway.

3. Work on Trusting Other People

Abandonment issues also tend to give rise to trust issues, especially in romantic relationships. If you’ve been cheated on or betrayed before, there’s always that anxiety that someone else will do it again. With this, you often find it hard to trust other people.

That’s why, if you want to heal your abandonment issues, you need to work on your trust issues first. Instead of doubting them right away, give people the chance to prove themselves. 

As you learn to trust people, you also slowly learn to open yourself up and become vulnerable. It helps you gain enough courage to finally let go of that fear of betrayal that’s been eating you up from the inside.

4. Seek a Support System

People who have a strong support system are less likely to have abandonment issues. They feel more secure in the knowledge that someone will always have their back.

So go ahead and find people who truly understand you. Hang out with people who you can be truly yourself without having to try and make a good impression. Surround yourself with people who lift you up instead of bringing you down.

5. Embrace Your Trauma

No matter how hard we try, we can never turn back time. That means you can’t undo all the bad things that happened to you. The only thing you can do now is to embrace them. They may have caused you immeasurable trauma, but they also helped you become the person you are right now.

Instead of letting those bad memories haunt you, use them as encouragement. Remember the saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”? All the horrible things that happened to you didn’t kill you, so they can only make you stronger. Think about that and use it as a motivation to forgive yourself and forgive the people who’ve hurt you.

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

9 Meaningful Jobs That Help People and Pay Well

9 Meaningful Jobs That Help People and Pay Well

Someone making an offering at the church, one of the four types of giving according to the bible.

Published December 12, 2022

If we can all choose our jobs, we’d surely want to work somewhere we can make an impact while making decent money. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t work that way.

In most cases, the jobs that pay higher usually suck your soul and make you lose faith in humanity. While those that allow you to make a difference usually don’t pay a living wage.

Well, we’ve got great news for you. There are jobs that actually let you enjoy the best of both worlds. And we’re listing them in this post!

If you’re looking to make a difference while making good money, here are the best jobs that help people and pay well:

1. Emergency Responder

Average pay: $64,214

Emergency responders are the people we turn to in emergency situations. They rescue people and save lives, sometimes at the cost of their own. So if you’re looking to help people, there’s no nobler way to do it than become an emergency responder.

This profession includes paramedics, police officers, firefighters, doctors, emergency medical technicians, and rescuers.

2. Veterinarian

Average pay: $121,459

If you like to work with animals and want to help save animal lives, then a veterinarian is the ideal career for you.

Contrary to popular belief, veterinarians don’t just care for domestic pets like cats and dogs. They care for all other types of animals too – from farm animals to endangered wildlife. If animals can hold a parade for their heroes, they’ll probably do it carrying a veterinarian’s statue.

3. Nurse

Average pay: $77,600

Nurses are probably some of the most underrated professionals in the world. They get less credit than doctors, but the hospital won’t run without them.

In a nutshell, nurses provide expert care from womb to tomb. From the neonatal wards to hospices, nurses are a fixture in medical care facilities. Not only do they help ease a patient’s burden, but they enjoy competitive pay too.

4. Special Education Teacher

Average pay: $61,820

If you have plenty of patience and enjoy helping special needs children achieve their full potential, this profession is for you.

Special education teachers work with children who have learning, emotional, physical, or mental disabilities. They employ special teaching strategies and techniques to help these children overcome their limitations and explore their potential.

A special education teacher at work.

5. Human Rights Advocate

Average pay: $70,107

As the name suggests, human rights advocates champion human rights. They initiate advocacy initiatives to change laws and policies that affect human rights. This includes lobbying petitions and organizing campaigns against human rights issues.

If you feel strongly about human rights issues, this job is for you.

6. Crisis Counselor

Average pay: $55,477

A crisis counselor’s main job is to help people cope with trauma. They listen to them and ask questions to determine the kind of help they need.

As you can already guess, this job requires an abundance of empathy. After all, it’s not easy to make someone pour their heart out to you. This is especially true for people who’ve been through a very traumatic experience.

If you’re a natural empath, you’ll surely thrive in this career.

7. Surgeon

Average pay: $208,000

They often say that doctors hold their patient’s life in their hands. In the case of surgeons, that couldn’t be more true. If you’re a surgeon, one wrong move can cause fatal consequences. But if you do your job right, you’ll save a life.

That’s why being a surgeon is one of those jobs that come with high risk and an even higher reward. And I’m not just talking about the financial reward. The satisfaction and happiness of being able to save a life are worth more than any money you’ll earn.

8. Epidemiologist

Average pay: $103, 184

If there’s one thing that the recent global crisis has made us realize, it’s that epidemiologists are our unsung heroes. They don’t often get a lot of recognition, but they play a huge role in keeping the world plague-free.

Basically, an epidemiologist’s job is to study outbreaks to determine their causes and effects on human populations. They then use this data to determine the most effective ways to prevent the disease from spreading.

9. Physical Therapist

Average pay: $95,620

Physical therapists help injured and disabled people manage pain and regain the use of their body parts. They usually work with people who were involved in an accident or have musculoskeletal disorders.

Many people who were told they couldn’t walk anymore have recovered thanks to the persistence of their physical therapists. They’re basically changing lives and giving hope to disabled people and their families.

So if you’re looking for a meaningful career with great monetary rewards, you should consider becoming a physical therapist.

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

60+ Forgiveness Quotes to Help You Heal

60+ Forgiveness Quotes to Help You Heal

Someone making an offering at the church, one of the four types of giving according to the bible.

Published December 5, 2022

We’ve all been hurt by people at some point in our lives. Sometimes, the pain is so great, and the wound is so deep that we thought we could never forgive them. That’s why they say that forgiveness is only for the brave. It takes a special kind of courage to forgive the people who hurt us.

Yes, it’s not easy to forgive. But you know what’s even harder? Living a life of anger and resentment.

You see, forgiving others is not about forgetting what they’ve done or letting them off despite their wrongdoings. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself. It’s your way of releasing yourself from all the pain and resentment that’s keeping you from becoming truly happy. 

When you learn to forgive others, you also learn to forgive yourself. Because when someone hurts us, somewhere in the deepest recesses of our hearts, there’s also that guilt for not having the courage to stand up for ourselves. Forgiveness helps you let go of that guilt and finally give yourself the peace you deserve. Think of it as the first step to healing and starting anew.

If you need more inspiration, here are some forgiveness quotes to help you heal:

Quotes About Forgiveness

  1. Forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying ‘You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.’ It’s saying, ‘You don’t get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future’. – Jodi Picoult
  2. Forgiveness is above all a personal choice, a decision of the heart to go against natural instinct to pay back evil with evil. – Pope John Paul II
  3. Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting – William Arthur Ward
  4. Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning. – Martin Luther King Jr.
  5. There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness. – Josh Billings
  6. Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. – Mark Twain
  7. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. – Corrie Ten Boom
  8. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. – Mahatma Gandhi
  9. Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life. – George McDonald
  10. Forgiveness is not weak. It takes courage to face and overcome powerful emotions. – Desmond Tutu
  11. Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend. – Jewel
  12. Forgiveness does not change the past but it does enlarge the future. – Paul Lewis Boese
  13. Forgiveness isn’t approving what happened. It’s choosing to rise above it. – Robin Sharma
  14. True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience. – Oprah Winfrey
  15. Forgiveness is designed to set you free. When you say, “I forgive you,” what you’re really saying is ‘I know what you did is not okay, but I recognize that you are more than that. I don’t want to hold us captive to this thing anymore. I can heal myself, and I don’t need anything from you – Sarah Montana
  16. Forgiveness is a powerful expression of the love within our soul. – Anthony Douglas
  17. Without forgiveness, life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation. – Roberto Assagioli
  18. Forgiveness is the final form of love. – Reinhold Niebuhr

Quotes About Asking for Forgiveness

  1. Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them. – Bruce Lee
  2. The lesson is that you can still make mistakes and be forgiven. – Robert Downey Jr.
  3. The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. – Harriet Beecher Stowe
  4. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. – Francis of Assisi
  5. It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. – Grace Hopper

Inspirational Forgiveness Quotes

  1. We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. – Martin Luther King
  2. Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, because hate in your heart will consume you too. – Will Smith
  3. It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody. – Maya Angelou
  4. Before we can forgive one another, we have to understand one another. – Emma Goldman
  5. We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness. – Frederick William Robertson
  6. As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison. – Nelson Mandela
  7. It’s not an easy journey, to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place, because it frees you. – Tyler Perry
  8. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. – Lewis B. Smedes
  9. Life is an adventure in forgiveness. – Norman Cousins
  10. Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. – Oscar Wilde
  11. Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge, – Edwin Hubbel Chapin
  12. If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive. – Mother Teresa
  13. To err is human; to forgive, divine. – Alexander Pope
  14. Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love. – Mahavira
  15. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. – Martin Luther King Jr.
  16. Sins cannot be undone, only forgiven. – Igor Stravinsky
  17. If one by one we counted people out. For the least sin, it wouldn’t take us long. To get so we had no one left to live with. For to be social is to be forgiving. – Robert Frost
  18. The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive – John Green
  19. Surely it is much more generous to forgive and remember, than to forgive and forget. – Maria Edgeworth
  20. The remedy for life’s broken pieces is not classes, workshops or books. Don’t try to heal the broken pieces. Just forgive. – Iyanla Vanzant
  21. When you forgive, you heal. When you let go, you grow. – Anonymous
  22. Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness; those are life-altering lessons. – Jessica Lange
  23. He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven. – Thomas Fuller
Two people hugging while facing the sunrise.

Family Forgiveness Quotes

  1. The only time family becomes null is when those ties in the heart are cut. If you cut those ties, those people are not your family. If you make those ties, those people are your family. And if you hate those ties, those people will still be your family because whatever you hate will always be with you. – C. Joybell C.
  2. There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love. – Bryant H. Mcgill
  3. Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. – Fred Rogers
  4. I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive. – Yolanda Hadid
  5. Never forget the nine most important words of any family: I love you. You are beautiful. Please forgive me. – H. Jackson Brown Jr.
  6. Children begin by loving their parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them. – Oscar Wilde
  7. It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. – William Blake
  8. Forgiveness is important in families, especially when there are so many secrets that need to be healed – for the most part, every family’s got them. – Tyler Perry

Self-Forgiveness Quotes

  1. Take forgiveness slowly. Don’t blame yourself for being slow. Peace will come. – Yoko Ono
  2. Forgiveness is healing…especially forgiving yourself. – Alyson Noël
  3. How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself – Publilius Syrus
  4. Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on. – Less Brown
  5. As we know, forgiveness of oneself is the hardest of all the forgivenesses. – Joan Baez
  6. The people who did you wrong or who didn’t quite know how to show up, you forgive them. And forgiving them allows you to forgive yourself too. – Jane Fonda
  7. It’s toughest to forgive ourselves. So it’s probably best to start with other people. It’s almost like peeling an onion. Layer by layer, forgiving others, you really do get to the point where you can forgive yourself. – Patty Duke

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

How to Validate Someone’s Feelings (With Sample Statements)

How to Validate Someone’s Feelings (With Sample Statements)

Someone making an offering at the church, one of the four types of giving according to the bible.

Published November 28, 2022

Have you ever had someone tell you about something that really riled them up and you told them that it’s too trivial to be angry about?

My friends, that right there is a classic example of invalidating someone’s feelings. And admit it or not, many of us have done this to someone at least once in our lives. This is exactly why we need to learn how to validate someone’s feelings.

I mean, if we are to reverse the situation and you are the one getting told that your anger is unreasonable, how would you feel? Not very nice, right? That’s exactly how the other person felt when you invalidated their feelings.

Contrary to popular belief, validating other people’s feelings doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing that their emotional response is appropriate. Rather, it’s about showing that you understand how they feel and that it’s perfectly alright to feel that way.

If you don’t know where to start, here’s our quick guide on how to validate someone’s feelings.

Importance of Emotional Validation

By definition, emotional validation is about learning, understanding, and expressing acceptance of another person’s feelings.

When you take the time to learn and understand how someone feels, it helps them feel like they’re accepted. It makes them realize that their feelings matter too. And you can just imagine how this will boost their sense of self-worth.

A person who feels emotionally validated can manage their emotions more effectively. They won’t feel guilty or ashamed about feeling a certain way. It also helps them accept themselves better without feeling ashamed or resorting to self-blame.

How to Validate Other People’s Feelings

Validating other people’s emotions isn’t an easy task. That’s why we’ve outlined some steps to serve as your guide:

1. Listen With an Open Mind

Listening without judging is easier said than done. Most of us are raised with prejudices and it usually rears its ugly head when we’re listening to other people talk about something that we don’t agree with.

That’s why the first step to validating someone’s feelings is to listen with an open mind. Keep in mind that everyone’s experiences aren’t the same. That’s why we have different reactions to similar circumstances.

So if you want to validate someone’s feelings, start by listening without prejudice. Focus on what they have to say instead of judging them for feeling that way. 

2. Don’t Interrupt When They’re Talking

Interrupting someone when they’re talking is not only rude, but it is one of the worst ways to invalidate someone’s feelings. You’re basically telling the other person that what they’re saying isn’t that important.

As a result, that person will feel like their feelings don’t matter or that they are just overreacting. They’ll feel guilty and ashamed because they’ll think it’s wrong to feel that way. The next time they feel that way again, those feelings of guilt and shame will resurface, slowly chipping away at their confidence.

So the next time someone pours their heart out to you, just listen. You may nod at certain times to show them that you’re listening. But never cut them mid-sentence. That’s the best thing you can do for them.

3. Show That You Care

One of the best ways to tell someone that their feelings are valid is by showing that you care. You don’t need grand gestures. Just holding their hand or a simple tap on the shoulder is already a huge encouragement for someone who’s struggling. It lets them know that someone understands and that it’s perfectly alright to feel that way. 

4. Match Their Mood and Energy Level

When a friend tells you some great news and they can’t contain their excitement, you need to match their mood and energy level. Don’t be a Debbie Downer. I mean, what would you feel if you were in their shoes and the other person doesn’t share your enthusiasm? It’s a total bummer, right?

Besides, sharing their enthusiasm is another way of showing that you care for them. It lets them know that you’re happy for them. They won’t have to feel guilty for feeling so happy while you’re not.

5. Ask Questions

Asking questions is one of the best ways to show that you’re listening and that you’re interested in what they have to say. It doesn’t necessarily mean interrupting them while they’re talking. You can ask questions after they’re done pouring their heart out.

Questions like “how long have you been dealing with this?” or “is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” are a great start. Steer clear of intrusive questions though, especially if you’re not that close. It can make people feel like they’re being interrogated and may only cause them to retreat back to their shells.

6. Acknowledge the Source of the Emotion

We all have different life experiences. As such, we react differently to similar situations. Leftover foods being casually thrown away might not be a big deal to someone who never experienced hunger growing up. But it can be a source of irritation for someone who grew up having to constantly worry about their next meal.

That’s why you may not always understand why people can get so emotional over things that you consider too trivial. This is what you need to remember when listening to someone talking about how they feel. You need to acknowledge the source of their emotions instead of judging them right from the get go.

7. Avoid Giving Advice

This is the last thing you’d want to do. Not everyone who confides in you is looking for advice. Most of the time, they just need someone to vent to – someone who’s willing to listen and understand. 

Even if you think you have some solid advice, remember that your priority is to listen. You might mean well but giving them a piece of your mind may only make the situation about you instead of them. So it’s better to avoid giving advice altogether.

Someone comforting another person by holding their hand.

Examples of Validating Statements

Now that you know the do’s and don’ts of validating someone’s feelings, here are some examples of validating statements you can use:

  1. How are you feeling today?
  2. I’m sorry you had to go through that.
  3. I believe in you.
  4. It makes sense that you feel/think…
  5. What you are thinking/feeling is normal.
  6. I too would feel that way if I were in your situation.
  7. I appreciate that you feel comfortable enough to share this with me.
  8. I’m proud of you.
  9. You’re right.
  10. It must have been difficult to open up about…
  11. I can totally understand why you felt that way.
  12. I can see how hard you are working.
  13. That must have been really hard for you.
  14. What a horrible feeling that must be.
  15. I don’t have the same beliefs as you but I can see this is important to you.
  16. It must make you feel horrible to have someone do that.
  17. That’s messed up.

Invalidating Responses to Avoid

Here are some things you should never say to someone if you want to validate their feelings:

  1. You’ll be fine.
  2. I think you’re just being too sensitive.
  3. Just get over it.
  4. You’re overreacting.
  5. I hated it when that happened to me. (Don’t make the situation about you.)
  6. What’s the big deal? You should feel lucky…
  7. Well, life’s not fair.
  8. What you should really do is…
  9. I bet they were just…
  10. Don’t be such a crybaby.
  11. That’s your fault for getting yourself into these kinds of situations.
  12. Why can’t you be like (mention someone else’s name)?

Validating someone’s feelings is never easy. It requires empathy, compassion, and a willingness to listen to and understand other people’s emotions. But the fact that you’re here and reading this post up to this point is proof that you are indeed willing to learn. And that’s all that matters.

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

100+ Inspirational One Words to Motivate You

100+ Inspirational One Words to Motivate You

Someone making an offering at the church, one of the four types of giving according to the bible.

Published November 14, 2022

They say that words have the power to make or break a person. That we couldn’t agree more. Every word that comes out of our mouths can change someone’s world – sometimes for the better, other times for the worse.

That’s why it’s important to choose our words carefully. If we want to boost someone’s confidence, compliment them. If you want to motivate them, choose words that can inspire and encourage them.

If you don’t know where to start, here’s a list of inspirational single words you can use to encourage or motivate others.

Inspirational Words – A

1. Abundance. 

  • Abundance is not something we acquire, it’s something we tune into. – Wayne Dyer

2. Accomplish

  • If you’re willing to do for a year what others won’t you can do for a lifetime what others can’t. – Jerry Rice

3. Achieve

  • Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. – Robert F. Kennedy

4. Act 

  • Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does. – William James

5. Active

  • An active soul is a healthy soul – Maori Proverb

6. Admire

  • The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring. – Carl Sandburg

7. Adventure

  • Adventure is worthwhile in itself. – Amelia Earhart

8. Alive

  • You’re still alive. And that means you’ll love and be loved…and in the end, nothing else really matters. – Nicholas Sparks

9. Appreciate

      • Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. – Voltaire

10. Attain

    • In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd. – Miguel de Cervantes

Inspirational Words – B

1. Balance

  • Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein

2. Beauty

  • Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. – Confucius

3. Becoming

  • For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end. – Michelle Obama

4. Belief

  • One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying. – Joan of Arc

5. Bliss

  • Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls. – Joseph Campbell

6. Breakthrough

  • The moment when you feel like giving up is right before your breakthrough. – Victoria Arlen

7. Breathtaking

  • Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by its breathtaking moments – Michael Vance

8. Boundless

  • The human body has limitations. The human spirit is boundless. – Dean Karnazes

9. Brilliant

  • Dream, struggle, create, prevail. Be daring. Be brave. Be loving. Be compassionate. Be strong. Be brilliant. Be beautiful. – Caterina Fake

10. Build

  • Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want. – Ken Poirot

Inspirational Words – C

1. Calm

  • It’s all about finding calm in the chaos – Donna Karan

2. Capable

  • If you never try, you’ll never know what you are capable of. – John Barrow

3. Catalyst

  • After all, the ordinary hero hiding in each of us is often the most powerful catalyst for change. – Tate Taylor

4. Challenge

  • We develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and obstacles. – Stephen Covey

5. Celebrate

  • Every day of your life is a special occasion. – Thomas Monson

6. Clarity

  • Clarity is essential. Knowing exactly what you want builds your self-confidence immeasurably. – Brian Tracy

7. Commitment

  • Without commitment you cannot have depth in anything. – Neil Strauss

8. Compassion

  • If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. – Dalai Lama

9. Confidence

  • Believe you can and you’re halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

10. Courage

  • I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. – Nelson Mandela

11. Conquer

  • One who conquers himself can conquer ten thousand worlds. – Matsona Dhliwayo

Inspirational Words – D

1. Dare

  • Power is given only to him who dares to stoop and take it … one must have the courage to dare. – Fyodor Dostoevsky

2. Dedication

  • The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. – Vince Lombardi

3. Deserving

  • The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for. – Maureen Dowd

4. Desire

  • The starting point of all achievement is desire. – Napoleon Hill

5. Determination

  • Determination is the wake-up call to the human will. – Tony Robbins

6. Dream

  • The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevelt

7. Drive

  • With drive and a bit of talent, you can move mountains. – Dwayne Johnson

Inspirational Words – E

1. Eagerness

  • I arise full of eagerness and energy, knowing well what achievement lies ahead of me. – Zane Grey

2. Earnestness

  • Earnestness is enthusiasm tempered by reason. – Blaise Pascal

3. Empower

  • Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you. – Wayne Dyer

4. Encourage

  • Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. – Harriet Beecher Stowe

5. Enjoy

  • Life is like a roller coaster. Live it, be happy, enjoy life. – Avril Lavigne

6. Enthusiasm

  • Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. Envision

  • The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent. – Arnold Schwarzenegger

8. Excellence

  • We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Will Durant

Inspirational Words – F

1. Faith

  • Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase. – Martin Luther King Jr.

2. Faithfulness

  • Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. – Mother Teresa

3. Fearless

  • Becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it. – Veronica Roth

4. Fighter

  • The fighter who give their all will be around next year. Don’t save anything. Give it all you got. – George Foreman

5. Focus

  • Always remember, your focus determines your reality. – George Lucas

6. Forgive

  • The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. – Mahatma Gandhi

7. Freedom

  • For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. – Nelson Mandela

8. Fulfillment

  • Every living organism is fulfilled when it follows the right path for its own nature. – Marcus Aurelius

Inspirational Words – G

1. Generous

  • Generosity is not in giving me that which I need more than you do, but it is in giving me that which you need more than I do. – Kahlil Gibran

2. Genuine

  • Influence is about being genuine. – Johnny Hunt

3. Glow

  • Let the glow in your heart reflect in your soul. – Steve Maraboli

4. Goals

  • If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes. – Andrew Carnegie

5. Goodness

  • Goodness is the only investment that never fails. – Henry David Thoreau

6. Grace

  • For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them. – St. Augustine of Hippo

7. Gratitude

  • Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul. – Amy Collette

8. Greatness

  • Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength. – Henry Ward Beecher

9. Growth

  • One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again. – Abraham Maslow

Inspirational Words – H

1. Happiness

  • Happiness depends upon ourselves. – Aristotle

2. Harmony

  • Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay. – Sallust

3. Healing

  • Just like there’s always time for pain, there’s always time for healing. – Jennifer Brown

4. Honesty

  • Honesty is the best policy. If I lose mine honor, I lose myself. – William Shakespeare

5. Honor

  • Honor may not win power but it wins respect. And respect earns power. – Ishida Mitsunari

6. Hope

  • Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic. – Laini Taylor

7. Humility

  • Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. – Rick Warren
A woman happily raising her arms at the sky.

Inspirational Words – I

1. Illuminate

  • Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate. – Thomas Aquinas

2. Imagination

  • Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will. – George Bernard Shaw

3. Impact

  • Every action we take impacts the lives of others around us. The question is: are you aware of Your impact? – Arthur Carmazzi

4. Improve

  • Improvement usually means doing something that we have never done before. – Shigeo Shingo

5. Infinite

  • If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. – William Blake

6. Initiative

  • Initiative is doing the right thing without being told. – Victor Hugo

7. Innovate

  • Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat. – Steve Jobs

8. Insightful

  • A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience. – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

9. Inspire

  • Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working. – Pablo Picasso

10. Integrity

  • Integrity is the seed for achievement. It is the principle that never fails. – Earl Nightingale

11. Interest

  • Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous. – Georgia O’Keeffe

Inspirational Words – J

1. Joy

  • Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. – Henri J.M. Nouwen

2. Justice

  • Law without justice is a wound without a cure. – William Scott Downey

3. Journey

  • The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment. – Antonio Brown

Inspirational Words – K

1. Kindness

  • Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver. – Barbara De Angelis

2. Knowledge

  • To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge. – Socrates

Inspirational Words – L

1. Laugh

  • Laughing is, and will always be, the best form of therapy. – Dau Voire

2. Lead

  • A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. – Lao Tzu

3. Learn

  • Learning never exhausts the mind. – Leonardo da Vinci

4. Legacy

  • If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that cannot be erased. – Maya Angelou

5. Liberate

  • The true value of a human being can be found in the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self. – Albert Einstein

6. Live

  • To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist. – Oscar Wilde

7. Limitless

  • Life has no limitations, except the ones you make. – Les Brown

8. Love

  • A life lived in love will never be dull. – Leo Buscaglia

9. Loyalty

  • If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. – Elbert Hubbard

Inspirational Words – M

1. Meaningful

  • A meaningful life is one in which you deeply connect to your purpose. A person living life with purpose is a hero who gets up every day with a clear sense of who they are and what they are doing in the world. – Wayne Mellinger

2. Mindset

  • Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it. – Steve Maraboli

3. Mindfulness

  • Mindfulness is deliberately paying full attention to what is happening around you– in your body, heart, and mind. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgment. – Jan Chozen Bays

4. Motivate

  • Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice. – Wayne Dyer

5. Movement

  • Movement is life. Life is a process. Improve the quality of the process and you improve the quality of life itself. – Moshe Feldenkrais

Inspirational Words – N

1. Now

  • Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. – Buddha

2. New

  • The magic of new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all. – Josiyah Martin

3. Nurture

  • Monsters will always exist. There’s one inside each of us. But an angel lives there, too. There is no more important agenda than figuring out how to slay one and nurture the other. – Jacqueline Novogratz

Inspirational Words – O

1. Opportunity

  • When opportunity presents itself, don’t be afraid to go after it. – Eddie Kennison

2. Optimism

  • Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. – Helen Keller

3. Originality

  • Originality is the best form of rebellion. – Mike Sasso

4. Overflowing

  • An overflow of good converts to bad. – William Shakespeare

5. Overcome

  • The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. – Moliere

6. Outstanding

  • Outstanding people have one thing in common: An absolute sense of mission. – Zig Ziglar

Inspirational Words – P

1. Passion

  • Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. – Oprah Winfrey

2. Patience

  • Patience attracts happiness; it brings near that which is far. – Swahili Proverb

3. Peace

  • Peace begins with a smile. – Mother Teresa

4. Perseverance

  • Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other. – Walter Elliot

5. Persistence

  • Energy and persistence conquer all things. – Benjamin Franklin

6. Persuade

  • Persuasion can go through obstacles that force cannot. – Yusuf A. Leinge

7. Please

  • You can’t please everyone. When you’re too focused on living up to other people’s standards, you aren’t spending enough time raising your own. – Kris Carr

8. Possibility

  • The possible is just the impossible that we’ve come to accept. – Stewart Stafford

9. Positive

  • One small positive thought can change your whole day. – Zig Ziglar

10. Power

  • Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power. – Lao Tzu

11. Practice

  • An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching. – Mahatma Gandhi

12. Present

  • Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present. – Bill Keane

13. Prosperity

  • Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped. – Calvin Coolidge

14. Prioritize

  • The key is not to proritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. – Stephen Covey

Inspirational Words – Q

1. Quest

  • He who completes a quest does not merely find something. He becomes something. – Lev Grossman

2. Queen

  • In every woman, there is a queen. Speak to the queen and the queen will answer. – Norwegian Proverb

Inspirational Words – R

1. Radiant

  • When we keep claiming the light, we will find ourselves becoming more and more radiant. – Henri Nouwen

2. Redemption

  • Your current circumstances are part of your redemption story He is writing. – Evinda Lepins

3. Relentless

  • Being relentless means demanding more of yourself than anyone else could ever demand of you, knowing that every time you stop, you can still do more. You must do more. – Tim S. Grover

4. Respect

  • Respect yourself and others will respect you. – Confucius

5. Rise

  • What defines us is how well we rise after falling. – Zig Ziglar

Inspirational Words – S

1. Safe

  • A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for. – Grace Hopper

2. Satisfaction

  • Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory. – Mahatma Gandhi

3. Self-control

  • You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. – Marcus Aurelius

4. Serendipity

  • Some of the greatest things, as I understand, they have come about by serendipity, the greatest discoveries. – Alan Alda

5. Shine

  • A star does not compete with other stars around it. It just shines. – Matshona Dhliwayo

6. Smile

  • A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose. – Tom Wilson

7. Spirited

  • In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. – Albert Schweitzer

8. Strength

  • Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness. – Susan Gale

9. Success

  • Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. – Pele

10. Sustain

  • All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain. – Epictetus

Inspirational Words – T

1. Teach

  • Teaching is the highest form of understanding. – Aristotle

2. Tenacious

  • Tenacity is more than endurance, it is endurance combined with the absolute certainty that what we are looking for is going to transpire. – Oswald Chambers

3. Thankful

  • Be present in all things and thankful for all things. – Maya Angelou

4. Trust

  • Trust is the easiest thing in the world to loose and the hardest thing in the world to get back. – R. Williams

5. Triumph

  • The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. – Thomas Paine

Inspirational Words – U

1. Understand

  • Understanding comes through communication, and through understanding we find the way to peace. – Ralph C. Smedley

2. Unique

  • In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different. – Coco Chanel

3. Uplift

  • Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. – Maya Angelou

Inspirational Words – V

1. Valiant

  • For the valiant heart, nothing is impossible. – Jacques Couer

2. Value

  • Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. – Albert Einstein

3. Victorious

  • Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan. – John F. Kennedy

Inspirational Words – W

1. Willpower

  • Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt or fear. – Dan Millman

2. Wisdom

  • The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. – Socrates

3. Worthy

  • Worthy things happen to the worthy. – Plautus

Inspirational Words – Y

1. Yearn

  • The fact is, everything we want or yearn for is won through other people. No man on an island is happy; he is merely existing. The joyous life is the one filled with rich relationships. – Vernon Howard

2. Yes

  • Everything in the world began with a yes. One molecule said yes to another molecule and life was born. – Clarice Lispector

Inspirational Words – Z

1. Zeal

  • Zeal is a volcano, the peak of which the grass of indecisiveness does not grow. – Khalil Gibran

2. Zen

  • The practice of Zen is forgetting the self in the act of uniting with something. – Koun Yamada

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

How to Choose Love Over Hate for a More Peaceful Life

How to Choose Love Over Hate for a More Peaceful Life

Someone making an offering at the church, one of the four types of giving according to the bible.

Published November 14, 2022

Choosing love over hate might be one of the most difficult things we can do. But it’s also the most noble.

You see, it’s easy to love the people who are dear to us. But it’s also very easy to hate those who treat us with hate. The real challenge, however, is in choosing to love those that we hate.

I mean, if I’ll ask you right now, would you be willing to forgive those who have wronged you? Will you help your enemy if they ask for your help? Most of us will probably answer with a resounding “no”.

But hating the people who hate us will only breed more hate. As Mahatma Gandhi once said: if we practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, soon the whole world will be blind and toothless. 

In short, if we repay hatred with more hatred, the world will soon be overrun with spiteful people who hurt others just because they can.

That’s why if we want to make the world a better place, we must learn to choose love over hate – every single time.

What Does It Mean to Choose Love Over Hate?

Choosing love over hate is a personal decision. It means more than just being nice to someone you don’t like. Or holding your tongue when somebody is being rude to you.

To choose love means letting go of all the hatred, angst, and resentment in your heart. It’s about emptying yourself of all the negative emotions that are dragging you to that inescapable abyss of hatred.

A heart filled with rage won’t have any room for love. But if we empty ourselves of all those negative emotions, we’re making more room for love to take root and grow. And when we’re filled with love, we won’t have any time to hate.

A group of friends facing the sunrise hand in hand.

Choosing Love Over Hate

Yes, choosing love over hate isn’t easy. We’d rather curse our enemies than wish them happiness. That’s why choosing love over hate is a decision that we have to make every single day.

Here are some things you can do to ensure that you’re making the right choice:

1. Choose to be Kind

They say that kindness is love in action. That couldn’t be any more true. You can’t be kind to someone without loving them. Similarly, you can’t claim to love someone if you can’t even treat them kindly.

That’s why choosing love over hate also means choosing to be kind. When you choose to offer a supportive smile rather than snorts of derision or when you opt for encouraging words instead of cursing someone to hell and back, you’re already choosing love over hate.

It doesn’t matter who you are or who you’re talking to, kindness shouldn’t be exclusive. To choose love means being kind to everyone regardless of their income, social status, or how they treated you.

2. Practice Compassion

By definition, compassion is being concerned for the misfortune of others. But being compassionate means more than just taking pity on others. 

In the dictionary, compassion is defined as a sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. This means that there are two components to practicing compassion: sympathy and a desire to relieve others of their distress.

In short, there is no compassion without action. It’s easy to say that you feel sorry for your enemies. But that’s not what compassion is about.

Choosing love over hate goes beyond feeling sorry for those who hurt you. It’s about taking action and lending them a helping hand. That’s what compassion is about. That’s what love is about.

3. Empathize

Empathizing with others is usually easier said than done, especially if they’re your sworn enemies. I mean, how can you put yourself in that person’s shoes when you don’t even want to step in those shoes? Also, how can you empathize with people who you can’t even see eye to eye with?

But you see, that’s the power of empathy. It lets you understand where people are coming from and what battles they’re fighting.  

As you know, not everyone is purposely hateful. Some were raised in an environment where hatred and violence are a part of everyday life. They become so used to it that it’s the only way they know how to treat others.

Practicing empathy helps you see beyond their hateful acts. It helps you understand why they have so much hatred in them. And when you finally understand them and see beyond the hatred, you’ll see someone with motivations, frustrations, and fears – someone exactly like you.

4. Forgive

Forgiveness is one of the most essential steps to choosing love over hate. You can’t empathize or show compassion to someone if you haven’t forgiven them.

Besides, forgiving people is such a liberating experience. It helps you let go of all the hatred and enmity inside you. Without all those negative emotions dragging you down, you’ll have more room for kindness, compassion, and empathy.

Wrapping It Up

It isn’t always easy to choose love over hate. That’s why it’s a constant challenge for us. There’s already a lot of hatred in the world because hating someone is easier. But if all of us choose to forgive, be kind, and show empathy and compassion, then the world would be a much, much better place to live in.

Donate To The Poor & Homeless Of South Florida

Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen has fed the poor and homeless in South Florida over 900,000 hot meals since 1993. Our tax deductible non profit organization also accepts and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, shoes, bicycles, and more. You can donate to help the poor and homeless through our website.

Judy Ponio is a professional writer for Our Father's House Soup Kitchen

About The Author

is a professional writer and devoted Christian. She has a passion for writing about topics related to morality and helping the poor and homeless. She is the lead author for the Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen blog.

Correct Digital, Inc is paid by private donors to provide website digital marketing services to this non-profit organization.

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