 The other morning I went out for a walk and had to pass by my car that was parked on the street. In the distance I saw a piece of paper on my windshield and instantly braced myself for irritation.
My brain trotted ahead of me to ask all the pertinent questions: A ticket? A note saying sorry I ran into your car? A thoughtless gift of trash from a drunk passer-by? I approached the car and removed a faded newspaper from under the windshield. Scribbled across the front in green marker read, "Hi Shana and David. Love, Brad." A smile spread across my face, my body felt lighter. I held in my hand a dirty piece of proof that a friend took a moment out of his day to infuse a little kindness into mine. I carried that sentiment into the rest of my day. There are infinite ways to do this both with strangers and those you know, and the impacts can be great. This article from The Greater Good Science Center reveals a study in which recalling a kind or generous act led to increased happiness, and increased happiness led to more generosity. If I were to end this tool right here (offer a "take home message" as it were), I would say to never underestimate the power of a kind gesture. But I will go on to offer a few suggestions (and a link to about 300 more)... Simple starters might include feeding someone's meter that's running out or paying someone a compliment. If you have several bucks to spare consider paying the bridge toll for the car behind you (but make sure you're in the cash lane) or buy that Street Sheet from the vendor you might typically pass by. If you have several hours to spare and/or you aren't into random acts of things, but instead prefer to plan sign up for some volunteer work. One Brick, Volunteer Match, and The Volunteer Center are all easy places to start Keeping in mind the intention of committing kindness, see what just comes to you. But if you run out of ideas, here's a website dedicated exclusively to them... Comments are closed.
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