Today it happened to me – the car ahead of me paid for my Starbucks order! I’ve heard of this happening in the news, about how someone will do a random act of kindness and pay for a stranger’s order. However, it has never happened to me until today. Now I know how it feels…..amazing! It was such a nice surprise to pull forward, hand my money to the cashier and have her tell me, “The gentleman ahead of you paid for your coffee”. I was surprised, stunned and left at a brief loss of words. After pulling through the drive through I could not contain the smile on my face. I experienced first hand how good comes from acts of kindness.
That one act of kindness transformed my morning and changed my outlook for the rest of the day. As a result of feeling so good, I turned off my usual talk radio of news and politics. Instead I chose to listen to my favorite playlist of music to fit my uplifted mood. It felt strange not to be able to thank the generous man, but I suppose that is the point. He didn’t want to be thanked. It was meant to be anonymous and random. The gesture was meant to be about the kindness and not about him.
Acts of kindness are contagious
It got me to thinking about how one person’s attitude and action can be so infectious and lead to changing another person’s attitude. It made me want to do something nice for someone else! I wish there was more of this. Random acts of kindness don’t need to cost money, like paying for someone’s coffee or taking care of someone’s bill. Instead they can be unsolicited compliments to strangers, going out of your way to help someone, or doing an act of service for a neighbor or friend when they don’t ask. The mere act of being kind just for the goodness of it, and not for the recognition, is what affects people. Kindness is powerful. We all have the power within us to change someone’s attitude and brighten their day. I’m thankful for my experience this morning in more ways than one and I hope I will pass on.
Why do acts of kindness matter?
Of course acts of kindness are good. That seems intuitive. So why does this matter? There are many books, websites and blogs devoted to acts of kindness. But are we actually seeing the good that is happening around us because of this? Are we recognizing the good things and feelings that come from these acts of selfless kindness? The benefit of an act of kindness toward someone is not just for the person on the receiving end, but also for the giver. Acts of kindness, especially when unexpected, increase joy and happiness for all involved.
What can you do to spread kindness?
Look for random acts of kindness this week. Recognize these acts of kindness from children, co-workers, family members and strangers. Then, if you feel compelled….pass them along. It’s easy to see the shocking, bad and negative things that happen around us and to complain and let frustration fester. Instead, choose to see the good that comes from all the kindness happening around you. Be thankful for the generosity and transformed by the change of perspective. You will be motivated to share!
Challenge for this week: Try to do at least one of these acts of kindness. Then, notice the impact you made on the other person and how you feel.
10 Simple Acts of Kindness
- Send a text of encouragement to someone
- Pay a sincere compliment
- Offer to help carry something for someone carrying a big load
- Let someone go ahead of you in line
- Bring a treat to work or school to share
- Give a thank you note to someone whose work goes unnoticed
- Give a gift card or meal to someone who you know is struggling
- Write a good review and help someone’s business
- Donate your extra coins instead of cashing them in
- Smile and say hello to strangers
Wonderful blog … even the smallest gestures of kindness can have a profound effect on the giver and the receiver. … vfs