Kindness Starts With One®

One smile. One hug. One cup of coffee. One person...

Do you have someone in your life who inspired you to be a better person? Did you witness an act of kindness that left an impression? Share your kindness story with the world.

Tell Us Your Kindness Story
Changing The World One Coffee At a Time

My name is John M. Sweeney. I’m the founder and Chief Kindness Officer of a worldwide social movement called Suspended Coffees. 

I’m a misfit, a Kindness Coach, a storyteller, and a teacher of kindness.

For me, kindness has not only changed my life, it's also saved it.

Three years ago I was depressed, alone, and thinking my life was worthless when I read about the simple idea of Suspended Coffees. Up until this point in my life, I’d been bullied almost everywhere I went and made to feel worthless. My teachers used to bully me and other kids bullied me to the point of it almost costing me my life. Yet, since the day I was born, all I’ve ever wanted to do was make people happy, make people smile, help people, and be kind to others; it's always been my purpose in life. 

Since the beginning of this movement, I've had a dream of connecting the world through kindness. Yes we’re all about buying coffee for others, but the real heart of the movement is connecting the world with kindness.

See, kindness really does make the world a better place. There is no situation on this earth that it wouldn't improve. Kindness has changed my life and the lives of so many others. One such lady just emailed me yesterday, saying she has almost died three times in the last seven months, but she’s been able to laugh and smile because of the message we’re spreading. She’s learned to be kind to her doctors and nurses, which has resulted in them treating her with even more kindness. They actually look forward to coming in to see her. I know that has a positive impact on other patients as well, because when they leave her, they feel better. She’s one of many. 

I believe the world needs more kindness, but also, we need to be kind to ourselves. It's the thing we struggle with the most, yet it's the most important part of our lives because our lives actually depend on it. During a recent interview I gave, I was asked how I measure the impact of all the kindness I put out into the world. My answer was simple - you can't, you can't measure the impact of a kind act because its reach is far greater than we can imagine, and it's more impactful than we ever dare to dream.

 

5 Comments

OCTOBER 2, 2016
Thank you for inspiring story, I also am in same boat as you!

APRIL 26, 2016
John, keep being a great person and spread even more kindness. Keep sharing more stories!!!!

MARCH 23, 2016
Your story is inspiring John, and what you've said in this article is so true. I've quoted a line from this article "kindness really does make the world a better place. There is no situation on this earth that it wouldn't improve." and linked back to this page from my blog.

FEBRUARY 3, 2016
John, you're a unique and incredible human being, and such an inspiration. Thank you for doing what you do, and thank you for being who you are.

JANUARY 29, 2016
John, you are such a remarkable human. The world needs more people like you.

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