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.
I was once experiencing an extremely painful time in my life. Getting through the day was really dificult, and I cried often. One day, I was in the elevator at work. It stopped on another floor and a woman got in the elevator. When she reached her floor, she looked at me and said, “God loves you.” It was a simple act of kindness from a stranger that helped me realize I wasn’t alone in the world. This happened several years ago, but it has meant so much to me.
When my three year old girl exclaims “mom, I love you SO much!” and gives me a big hug, my day is made. <3
Nice post!
Thank you for the message. The other day I was just hanging out with my partner in the car, around the city. This guy comes up to clean our front glass. As I hadn´t any money, I open my window and told him thank you, but I don´t have any money, so please don´t clean it. He ansewere: Don´t worry, today is my birthday and I´m just gonna give this to you….. my parter was freaked out, cuz it was kinnda dangerous, but I was……. fulfilled.
I hope this comment made your day because your blog made mine
Hello everyone, this is my first ever post!! I just wanted to comment because it made me think to share something that happened this week. My grandfather turned 99 on Wednesday, he is an amazing man, still in good shape and very witty, very wise. I thought about writing in his birthday card how I feel about him, what an inspiration he is to me etc – words from my heart. I was put off by the thought of the rest of my family reading it and thinking I’m stupid, we are not the lovey dovey types. I decided to write it anyway. He took his time reading it and when he looked up and our eyes met, that moment will stay with me forever. He mouthed a ‘thank you’ and I hugged him. And he smiled and said ‘this ones special’. I left his house on top of the world. I just wanted to say that we should share our hearts more, don’t be afraid to connect – we are all the same underneath it all…
Give a call to a long-not-seen friend for no particular reason and ask what he/she is upto.
Thanks again for a wonderful post with powerful responses. So often for me it is fear that holds me back and I did not recognize how much so until reading the comment from Lucinda. Thank you!
I love this.
Empowering people is great fun.
I do this with my staff often – it changes the whole workplace for the better.
Have you tried it on someone at your work that looks down or needs a little laughter?
Thanks made me smile
I was extremely ill and unable to take care of myself at all. My entire family was out of the country. I was scared because I had trouble walking or moving. Another mother from school came over everyday and cooked me breakfast. She would visit me at lunch and bring me food, and even reached out to friends to see if they could help. One girl I didn’t even know came over and cleaned my house! So many people reached out to help. I saw a lot of beauty in the world during that time.
What a wonderful site! Gave me just what I needed precisely when I needed it…thank you. I was gardening today and getting kind of hungry. About the time I was going to break my stride to eat, my partner walked in my backyard with a single sandwich he had picked up on his way over, walked into my kitchen, cut the sandwich and offered me half. That simple act of consideration was refreshing and reflected back to me how random acts of kindness are so healthy for both the “doer and the do-ee”. Thanx again!
Thank you for this beautiful and inspirational post.
When I sometimes get a lottery ticket, I like to give one to a homeless person as well.
Thank you, Great post Great site! 🙂
When will you post again?
Been a month now; just wondering.
Many years ago I was working at a men’s clothing store in a suburban mall around Christmas. This one morning when I came to open the store I saw a woman with a very small child waiting for the store to open.
As I raised the metal gate to the store in she came and asked if she could just look around.
About 45 minutes later she came to the cash register. She had tee shirts, socks, underwear, hats, gloves. .nothing fancy utilitarian clothing.
As I started to ring the items up she asked me to stop, because all she had was change no paper currency. She wanted to count out the correct amount to make sure she had enough to pay, before I went any further.
After it was all totaled up she said that a year ago when her child was born her husband was out of work, but she said he did so many small wonderful things for her and their new daughter during this Christmas time. At that moment she pledged to save every penny she to try and repay him for all that he had done for them. She had saved $37.12 over that year and it all went to making her husbands Christmas as joyous he had made hers.
The story as I listened to it took my breath away
What a lovely post. Simple, to the point, and encourages action. I always try to smile and say thank you to anyone who helps me. I think it’s important to let people know that they are appreciated, especially those we often take for granted.
I believe that I owe it to my young daughter to demonstrate an attitude of gratitude. I owe it to myself and my family.
As part of my Year of Awesome 2.0 I’ve decided that while I can’t create world peace I can contribute to what I call world awesome – small actions that combined can change the world. Thank you for being part of that!
With Kindness,
Sara