Spreading Kindness

A simple act can change a person’s day, week, or even their life. One encounter or action can alter someone’s outlook on the world, and it all starts with kindness. Kindness is contagious. A smile is something you can easily share, a gift you can both give and receive at no cost and exchange with a stranger. Relationships are built on kindness, and it has many forms.

It can be as easy as holding the door open for someone behind you, or helping a neighbor when they’ve dropped their bag on the floor. You can assist a friend in need with some advice, lend a shoulder to cry on or give a welcoming ear. Good Samaritans have returned lost wallets with cash intact, stood up for strangers in the midst of conflict, or just offered a compliment to someone having a bad day.

When looking back on life, most people generally don’t wish that they had the opportunity to get back at someone or enact their revenge -- they regret not being kind to people. Sure, individuals who were uncommonly rude to you in your lifetime can stick out like a sore thumb, but those who gave you great memories are oftentimes people who went out of their way to extend a helping hand.

Teaching kindness should start from when our children are young: it can prevent bullying and harassment in students and instills sound values for kids to built a foundation upon.

No matter the religion, a core belief that is emphasized is consideration of others. By showing that you care for another person’s well being, you can lead by example to make the world a better place, little by little.

Acts of kindness help restore faith in humanity – the more you give, the more you will receive, and it can even cause a chain-reaction of kindness. If we all focused solely on ourselves and neglected the needs of others, misery and conflict would surely follow.

Test it out for yourself – if you are kind, you’ll be sure to have a positive day and make someone’s even better.