How Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

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“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” ~Dalai Lama

Year of Living Kindly cover for FrankfurtPlease indulge me while I gape at the mind-boggling fact that my book turns five today. Born out of this blog, it continues to find new readers and, I hope, inspire kindness.

Many of you have been part of this community since the YOLK blog started in 2015. Your interaction and encouragement spurred me to attempt to turn my ideas into a book. I am so grateful.

No one is more surprised than I by its success. Like the little engine that could, it continues to chug along. It is now in its 9th printing, with three foreign language editions out (take a gander at the covers below!) and two more currently in production. It’s been honored with more than a dozen literary awards.

Most important, it’s touching lives. I often hear from readers who tell me YOLK inspired them to extend a kindness or withhold a snarky comment, or that they more readily recognize the kindnesses all around them. I can think of nothing more satisfying.

I wish I could claim that nine years of studying, writing, and speaking about kindness have made me a paragon of compassion, patience, and understanding. But no, I’m still learning. There are still times when I’m bitchy, cranky, and oblivious, but those occurrences are less frequent. I think I am kinder, and I am so much more aware of kindness all around me. I’ve seen also that there is a direct connection between kindness and happiness.

5 year 3

Foreign language editions of YOLK. Soon to follow: simplified character Chinese and Russian.

There are so many people to thank:

  • The readers of this blog who have been so thoughtful in their comments and so articulate in their own blogs,
  • Treasured friends and colleagues who have consistently modeled kindness,
  • My publisher, She Writes Press, and the sisterhood of authors I’ve been privileged to join and interact with—many of whom have become dear friends,
  • Books Forward’s publicity team that led the charge and prepared me to continue on my own,
  • The many groups that have invited me to speak and share my thoughts on kindness,
  • My husband, who encourages me and teases me in equal measure (and puts up with me when my kindness falters),
  • The thousands of people who have bought the book or checked it out of their local libraries,
  • And the many libraries that have acquired the book in print, e-book, or audio formats.

Thank you all beyond measure.

The coming year is going to test our kindness in countless and alarming ways. Right now, the world can be a harsh place. There is meanness and distrust and rampant cynicism. Let us continue to do the best we can—using kindness as our instrument and our guide . . . one action at a time, one choice at a time.

My hope for this book has always been that it will inspire people to claim their kindness, and through their kind actions and the ripples that flow from them, the world will be changed. Borrowing a line from the venerable Jean Luc Picard, “Let’s make it so.”

“The way we live our life is our spiritual practice—no more, no less, nothing but, nothing else.” ~Robert Corin Morris

YOLK on Bookshop: http://bit.ly/3Xzxjw2

28 thoughts on “How Time Flies When You’re Having Fun”

  1. What a wonderful legacy you’ve gifted the world. Kindness, compassion and living life with the intention of spreading goodwill. Here’s to four more years (and more still) of living kindly and making this earth a better one. 🙏🏻❤️

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  8. Congratulations! I’m so glad your book is doing well, but not surprised. You write well, and the subject is one that is much needed today. None of us manage to be kind at all times, but when kindness is our goal, we can certainly achieve it most of the time. And what a better place the world is when that happens…..

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  10. Congratulations on the success of your book. I love that it is spreading kindness around the globe. Kindness works both way benefitting the giver and the receiver simultaneously. And then hopefully continues to dovetail from there. I hope a sense of loving kindness can help heal the problems we face.

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  11. Congratulations, Donna, on your many successes! I hope this book will bring about positive changes in humanitarianism globally, as people read it around the world. I love the variety of the cover designs.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you, Sherrey! I love that kindness is valued and expressed across all continents and religions, and hope my book might be initiating kind conversations. Totally agree that the covers are wonderful.

      Liked by 1 person

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