Imagine a world in which we all shared our gifts and bounty with each other rather than focusing on self preservation.

There are many variations on the story of stone soup, but they all involve a traveler coming into a town beset by famine. The inhabitants try to discourage the traveler from staying, fearing he wants them to give him food. They tell him in no uncertain terms that there’s no food anywhere to be found. The traveler explains that he doesn’t need any food and that, in fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watch suspiciously as he builds a fire and fills a cauldron with water. With great ceremony, he pulls a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot of water. He sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious stone soup is. As the villagers begin to show interest, he mentions how good the soup would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brings out a cabbage to share. This episode repeats itself until the soup has cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets—indeed, a substantial soup that feeds everyone in the village.
This story addresses the human tendency to hoard in times of deprivation. When resources are scarce, we pull back and put all of our energy into self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else of a feast. This metaphor plays out beyond the realm of food. We hoard ideas, love, and energy, thinking we will be richer if we keep to them to ourselves, when in truth we make the world, and ourselves, poorer whenever we greedily stockpile our reserves. The traveler was able to see that the villagers were holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created alone.

Are you like one of the villagers, holding back? If you come forward and share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a banquet that can nourish many.

So I dropped her off. She asked me if I would like some coupons or something for my trouble. I reassured her that it was no trouble. Then she asked me my name and said she would pray for me. I told her what a kind gesture that would be…but added a request for her to pray for my father who was in the hospital. She looked up to the sky and said “I’ll pray for him, but I know he’ll be just fine.” I thanked her. We said our goodbyes and parted.

After I drove off I thought to myself did I just meet an angel? I wasn’t sure what exactly happened, but I do know that for my small act of kindness I received a true gift. Thank you J for your words of wisdom and prayers. It was exactly what I needed in that moment.

“Forget quickly what you give and always remember what you receive.”

“We are all made differently; however, we are living in one world which connects us together. Meeting new people in life can bring hope, joy, and love in your life.”

“I went through a stage in my life where I found myself constantly criticizing others because they did things differently than I would, or I thought my way was best. Not only did I find myself generally in a worse mood, but I soon, realized that if everyone did things like me or if no one thought differently, this world would be boring. I’m now finding these differences to be a positive thing and appreciate that it makes life fun and interesting. We need people to be different.”

“Love God; love others; nothing else matters.–a reduction of the Gospel of St. John.”

“Be thankful for who you are today, but continue to strive for who you want to be tomorrow. Stand out by making a difference. Let the most important things be what you’re passionate about and what you believe in, not what society or politics say should be important. No act of kindness is too small, and this world is in need of people who are willing to put others first. Be that person, and you will never know what battle somebody could be fighting and how important a generous act might mean to him.”

“The main discovery I have made after 50 years is that God loves us. I find my greatest peace going to mass and reading Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation. I’ve also recently read The Heart and The Fist. That should be required reading for our young adults. I would like to also share about something I learned being around seniors. That is, no one cares how much money you make, or what you did for a living. What matters is how you treated others and the relationships you’ve made over the years. Small acts done with great kindness matter.”

“Try and picture being born not knowing who your family is. Your mom did meth and you didn’t even know your dad’s name. When a child is born into this kind of situation, that is where my family steps in. In life, the hardest deed to accomplish is opening your arms wide for another person knowing you get nothing in return, but your own satisfaction. Taking care of a child in their first year of life knowing you will never see them again heartbreakingly rips that little patch in your heart, but is replaced with that true feeling of knowing you did something right in another person’s life. If we all step up and embrace a small but impacting deed, the world will slowly become a better place. We all have that pure goodness inside of us, so acknowledge it, don’t ignore it, and use it to do what’s right.”

“Ten years ago I was a victim of a serial predator. Today, I volunteer my time to speaking out for victims rights. I work to educate police, DA’s offices, and victim’s advocates to do better for the next victim that they work with. Life has handed me some significant hardships, but though the love of family, friends, and God, my life has become better and I have been able to make something positive and life changing from something (and someone) that initially brought hurt and pain. My advice? Always see struggles as a way of growing and FIND THE GOOD IN EVERYTHING!!!

“What would I tell a newborn? What piece of advice would I give? Don’t forget to find time to do the same thing you’re doing now…smile when you’re happy, cry when you’re sad, and take time to just sit there and enjoy the ride.”

“It’s important to celebrate the people in our lives. To appreciate all the things they add to our lives because it shows them we think they matter.”

“I just met 2 people who I will never forget. They opened their hearts and reminded me of just how good life can be and all they did was care. How simple is that??”

“The craziest thing I want to do is make the world a better place to live for everyone. Through small acts of giving we can make a difference.”

“Just when I thought my life was going in the wrong direction, someone took the time to reach out and turn my life around by reminding me that I matter and I can make a difference.”

Be a “Go Giver”

We are recruiting an army of “Go Givers”…. individuals who believe in the power of kindness and are committed to spreading this message in the world. We envision creating a grass roots organization of social activists who make a choice everyday to be more loving and encourage their families and friends to do the same.

Everyday in the media, there are heart breaking stories of conflicts showcasing our inhumanity. There are also tales of courageous people reaching out during times of crisis to help those in need. One World Heart Project is interested in the stories that don’t make the nightly news but do make a daily difference. The simple moments that are hidden in plain sight. We want you to share your untold stories about “invisible heroes”, ordinary people whose desire to help is greater than their fear of getting involved. One World Heart Project is seeking to inspire simple acts of giving and share the stories.

One person can make a difference. Together we can change the world. ONE +

The One World Heart Project is a tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code.