“My stepfather never talked to me about how to treat people. He showed me in every act of kindness I watched him do. I always try to think what he would have done when I am unsure of what to do, and act accordingly…this strategy has never failed me.”
~ L. Cole
We reap what we sow. When we do an act of kindness for someone it’s only a matter of time before the kindness is returned to you. Showing kindness is gift for both the giver and receiver. Plant seeds of kindness and you can expect to harvest kindness in return.
Here some seeds you can start planting today.:
- Put a quarter in a parking meter that’s about to expire.
- Leave a copy of a really great book you’ve read in a cafe for someone else to enjoy.
- Be nice to the customer service people who are trying to help you with your technological difficulties.
- Tip your restaurant server generously.
- Thank the cooks, waitstaff and bussers personally
- Say something nice, funny or goofy to the toll booth attendant like, “Don’t drive too fast” or “Glad to have encountered you today.”
- Forgive a driver directing road rage at you
- Buy or pack a meal for a homeless person or give him/her your restaurant doggie bag.
- Give a warm coat to a homeless person
- Offer to work for free on a project where your skills are needed
- Mentor someone
- Make a donation
- Pray for someone
- Compliment a stranger
- Send a box of donuts, bagels, muffins o to a construction site
- Next time you leave a foreign country, give all or some of what’s left of your currency to someone who resides in that country
- Next time you’re at the airport, offer to pull the bags belonging to a woman or a mother with child out of the conveyor belt
- Praise generously
- Give local tips for example, restaurants, historical landmarks, places of interest, etc. to a tourist
- Treat everyone with respect
- Put a tip in a street musician’s jar
- Let someone cut in front of you at the grocery store
- Tell a funny joke to a stranger
- Give someone a chance to prove him or herself
- Encourage someone to pursue their dream
- Allow someone to let his or her light shine
- Show support to an artist, writer or musician
- Hold the door open for someone
- Tip a cab driver generously
- Teach a child something you wish you knew at that age
- Smile at someone who’s sad
- Smile at strangers
- Offer sincere, kind words to someone who’s hurting
- Visit a hospice and spend some time with a terminally ill patient
- Volunteer at a battered women’s shelter
- Spend some time with a senior citizen living alone
- Give up your seat on a crowded bus, subway, train or ferry
- Inspire someone to be the best they can be
- Give someone the benefit of the doubt
- Offer to babysit for a single mother
- Offer the FedEx, UPS or DHL delivery person something to drink especially on a warm day
- Help a pregnant lady
- Sit and talk with a homeless person and learn their story
- Loan something to someone and forget about it
- Loan money on Kiva
- Contribute to a friend’s child’s education fund
- Give blood
- Show respect to a members of the armed forces regardless of your position regarding the war
- Donate to or volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation
- Let someone have your parking slot
