Kindness Stories

Details

Wednesday 03 March 2010

Published in several Indian Newspapers.

Everyone in the animal welfare movement knows that the Australian, Philip Wollen, is not a human being. He is from another planet. They simply do not make humans like him anymore. He went from Bangalore to Australia when he was young, taught himself, got a job in a bank, rose to the top, left it, became rich and now donates all his money to animals and orphans and people who need it. He does so on a moment's notice. He doesn't want paperwork, he just needs to trust you and he does that easily. He picks up fights with aggressively anti animal governments and media, he pays for lectures , he supports Sea Shepherd and goes out on the ships himself to chase off Japanese whalers, he builds sanctuaries in Asia for bears. On top of that, he is tall, handsome, well read, a vegan, speaks his mind, jokes a lot and writes deliciously. He lives in Melbourne with a beautiful wife, Trix and they work to make their money save the world. The name of their initiative is "Winsome Constance Kindness". Obviously he has landed here on a UFO and the technical word for his species is 'angel'.

This is the list of Philip's Daily Dos and Don'ts.

Don't eat meat, eggs or drink milk.

Eat as much raw food as possible.

Don't wear clothes made of animals - not even shoes, belts or watchbands.

Don't consume any product that is made by exploited labour.

Eliminate plastic from your life as far as possible - bags, boxes and credit cards - and some plastic people.

Avoid negative people like the plague. Anyone who is not adding quality is subtracting quality.

Turn off every unused electrical appliance at the source.

Shorten your showers and washing loads.

Walk, or ride a bike, or use public transport - drive only if absolutely necessary.

Cut down on the amount of rubbish you send to landfill each week

Drink water at room temperature - 2 litres a day - in sips.

Meditate at least one hour a day or at least read for two hours a day

Walk at least one hour a day. Take your pets with you - and talk to them while you do it. Let them stop and sniff as often as they like. A walk is not a race.

Write at least one letter to the media or a politician every week. It doesn't have to be a brickbat - a bouquet is fine too.

Grow your own vegetable garden or buy organic vegetables.

Pick up any rubbish you see in the park. It is the right thing to do - and do it in a visible way. It embarrasses the hell of everyone else who soon stop littering.

Buy a few flat bottom clay trays and leave them under the bushes and trees in the park. Each evening (or morning) when you take your dogs to the park, also take 2 X 2 litre bottles of water and fill up the trays. During the drought ten years ago my local park was baked dry and almost dead. Within 3 months of watering the little trays, the whole place became an ecosystem. Today the park resonates with birdsong, and is full of little animals and insects. It is full of parrots, honey-eaters and even possums.

Dig in your garden – even if it's a balcony garden . Get your hands in the soil. Compost the beds. Plant native flowering shrubs. Buy a bird bath, a bird book and binoculars. Go to your local park or a public place and plant a tree. Plant at least 4 fruit trees for the fruit bats, monkeys and birds.

Keep the seed of the fruit you eat and put them in pots

Volunteer your services at any struggling NGO of your choice.

Play with an animal at least once a day. And if possible let them occasionally eat from your hand.

Listen to music.

Give away money every week - regardless of the amount or the recipient. Try to calculate how much of your income you can give away without drastically affecting your health.

Ask shop-keepers, flight attendants, or restaurant waiters if they stock vegan products (particularly if you know they don't. This gets them thinking).

Wear a badge, cap, shirt, or pin which says “Proud to be Vegan”

De-clutter your house every month. Give away everything you don't need.

To increase your happiness, do not aim to increase your possessions. Simply decrease your desires. It works - every time. Trust me.