The Transformative Power of Mindful Kindness: Overcoming Barriers through Awareness, Empathy, and Right Action
The Transformative Power of Mindful Kindness: Overcoming Barriers through Awareness, Empathy, and Right Action
By Shawn McWeeney
December 2023
Story of Frank Lopez
One incarcerated individual whose life has been dramatically impacted by the Mindful Kindness Program is Frank Lopez. His journey from a life of violence to a life of empathy and right action serves as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of the Mindful Kindness Program. Through his participation in this program, Frank not only learned to cultivate mindfulness and empathy within himself but also how to translate these qualities into tangible acts of kindness towards others.
Prior to finding the Mindful Kindness Program, Frank's life was marred by violence and aggression. Raised by a father who abused both him and his mother, Frank learned violence at an early age. Growing up in such an environment, Frank learned violence as a means of survival and self-expression. This early exposure to aggression shaped his worldview and influenced his choices later in life. Frank attempted to kill his first wife after stalking and harassing her for years and abused his second wife. Frank has served 23 years of his 7 years to life sentence.
His change began when he started reading aloud How Love Wins to an inmate who couldn’t read and wanted to take the course. His audience became larger as he continued reading the book aloud to more and more inmates. Seeing the impact on himself and others, he became interested in getting to know Doug Carnine better. With greater contact with Doug, Frank overcame personal obstacles and became a Mindfulkindness Ambassador. Frank spread news of the Mindfulkindness program and recruited inmates from several prisons to take the course. Details of Frank’s story can be found here: Lopez Story
