Kindness Matters
Welcome to my new series at the Smorgasbord – Life Lessons 101. In this series I’m going to talk about incidence and things in life that are important. Today the topic is kindness. We hear the word get passed around a lot in various themes and context, but it bears talking about because a little kindness can go a long way.
Have you ever had a crappy day when nothing goes right, and per chance, a total stranger comes your way with a friendly greeting, an offer to help with something, or a compliment that just turns around that crappy day?
It doesn’t cost a cent to do something nice for someone or to make them feel a little special. We never know what kind of a day someone is having, and offering a little kindness can be a very welcomed pick-me-up for them. Can you recall the last time a stranger extended a kindness to you?
Complimenting someone can be a real lift to their self-esteem. It’s a verification that they’ve been noticed, someone paid attention to something about them, and maybe you were the only one who noticed, or maybe that person has nobody else in their life that offers kind words. We don’t know, but we know that a few kind words from us may just be a mood-lifter for them. A compliment offers a confirmation that something on their person is recognized and admired. And there are so many people who don’t get any recognition in their own surroundings.
A simple smile can be a great mood booster.
On the same token, if our faces and/or body language give off a cold or dark feeling, that feeling is also registered by others, instead, leaving a negative feeling, and one that doesn’t inspire us to want to get any closer to that person. Our moods evoke ripples of energetic vibes, and vibes and energy are contagious. So, it’s just as easy to wear a smile to give off a welcoming atmosphere of warmth.
Good Deeds
There are so many ways we can trickle a little kindness into the world, even doing the simplest of things. Kindness lives under many umbrellas. Kindness can be a smile, a compliment, even a hug when someone needs it. It can also mean taking some time to listen to someone who may need an ear, a goodwill gesture such as offering a helping hand to someone in need, letting in a fellow driver in your lane when we see their signal, offering a service to a friend – or even to a stranger if they’re sick or unable to get out, or just spending time with someone who is often alone.
What else can we do to offer up a little kindness?
- Donate blood
- Pay for someone’s coffee
- Hold the door open for someone
- Pick up trash another left behind
- Plant trees
- Volunteer to do a task for someone they aren’t able to do
- Donate books and other items no longer useful for ourselves but could be gold for someone else
- Read for someone who can’t
- Be a good neighbor
- Paint kindness rocks and spread them anywhere for someone to find some inspiration
- Cook a meal for a sick person
- Tip your server
- Leave a kind review for a person or product for something you’ve enjoyed
- Shop in your local small businesses (not the greedy giants)
- Use reuseable products to be kind to our planet
- Text, email or call someone to let them know you were thinking about them
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Kindness is a gesture given or done with no strings attached, a gift from the heart with no expectations of someone having to give back. But you know, the funny thing about doing good for others is that it’s a boomerang and you will find being and giving in kind is not only a gift for someone else but a gift to us.
Below, find some profound quotes that remind the value of being kind:
“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” ~Princess Diana
“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” ~Scott Adams
“Go and love someone exactly as they are. And then watch how quickly they transform into the greatest, truest version of themselves. When one feels seen and appreciated in their own essence, one is instantly empowered.” ~Wes Angelozzi
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ~Desmond Tutu
“My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness. Continue to allow humor to lighten the burden of your tender heart.” ~Maya Angelou
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~Leo Buscaglia
“Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” ~Jesse Jackson
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.” ~Kahlil Gibran
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Take 4 minutes and 29 seconds to listen to this heartfelt video – Humble and Kind
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I would love to hear about how an act of kindness impacted your life….please share with us.
©DGKaye2024
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