photo credit: uonottingham
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – the Dalai Lama
Sometimes all it takes is a small gesture to totally change someone’s day. When you sense that someone cares for you or is putting your concerns ahead of their own you often have your outlook totally transformed to something more positive and warm. Here are some small ways to make someone’s day.
1. Smile
2. Open doors
3. Offer a seat at your table in a busy cafe
4. Make eye contact
5. Shout a workmate a coffee for no reason
6. Start a conversation with someone who looks lonely
7. Listen
8. Share a tip that has helped you out in your life recently
9. Give money to beggars without conditions attached
10. Don’t complain about politics or recent news
11. Try and put a positive spin on a bad situation
12. Invite someone to go jogging
13. Cook for your wife
14. Meditate so you are calmer for your family
15. Volunteer for someone who really needs it
Normally I like to rant on and write long and in depth posts about things but sometimes it is just the simplest things that help the most. There is a wonderful quote by Plato that says, “Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” It is a wonderful thing to remember when you go about your daily business because it reminds you that other people are going through similar pains and hardships.
It also can help you deal with situations where you can’t quite understand why a person is behaving so badly – it is because they too are fighting a hard battle of their own.
I would really like to hear some comments about some small little thing that someone did that changed your day and made you feel happy and more optimistic. I don’t care how trivial or strange it might seem – please leave a comment so others can hear it and maybe use it to help someone else.
Originally posted on March 4, 2011 @ 1:34 am
