“Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”Eleanor Roosevelt
It is important to take pause each day and rewind. Think about a time when someone else truly made us happy. When is the last time we went out of our way to make someone else's day? Being kind and happy is free and the emotion from giving and receiving is priceless.
Spreading kindness is an easy thing we can do each day to make our own piece of the world a better place. Sometimes we are just so busy that we forget about it or don’t feel comfortable sharing how kind we can be for various reasons.
The other day I was reminded how a simple act of kindness can really change the course of the day. I was in Target (where else would I be?) and I couldn’t reach what I wanted on the top shelf. This gentleman must have seen the look on my face contemplating if I should attempt to step on the shelf and start climbing to try to reach it. He came over to me and asked if he could save me the trouble and get it for me. Now he could have just either ignored that he saw me in the first place, or amused himself and watched me. Instead he chose to help me. That small gesture really made me thankful and put me in a place where I was ready to also pay it forward for the rest of the day.
A few things that I like to try to keep in mind that help me to try to be a kinder person are these:
§ You get what you give. While it’s sadly true that some people will be ungrateful no matter what you try to do for them, don’t let that get to you. As long as you can rest your head at night without regret, that is what matters. Most people will treat you as you treat them.
§ By being kinder to others I am more likely to be kinder to myself. It may sound a bit odd but my experience is that when I am kinder towards others then my kindness toward myself improves.
§ It creates a happier place to live in. Being kinder simply makes my own little piece of the world a nicer and happier place to live in.
So how can you start spreading kindness and happiness in your daily life? Here are some simple ways to do it.
1. Express your gratitude.
Think about what you can be grateful for about someone in your life. Maybe that he is a good listener, that he often is quick to help out, do the laundry, get dinner started when he knows that you are coming home from work after a long day, or he knows that your time to yourself is at night to workout and take care of YOU-no questions asked.
2. Recall how people’s kindness made you feel.
Just sit down for a few minutes and try to recall one time or a few times when other people’s kindness really touched you and helped you out.
Then think about how you can do those very same things for someone in your life.
3. Express kindness for something you may often take for granted.
It is easy to remember and to feel motivated to express kindness when someone is having a rough time or have just finished an important project.
But also remember to express kindness for how someone continues to put so much love into the dinners you eat. Or for being on time every day and doing their job well and keeping deadlines.
4. Just be there.
Listen – without thinking about something else – when someone needs to vent. Just be fully present with your attention.
5. Remember the small acts of kindness too.
Let someone into your lane while driving. Let someone skip ahead of you in a line if he’s in a real hurry. Hold up the door for someone or ask if they need help when you see them struggling to reach an item that is way on top of a shelf and they can’t reach it.
6. Help the people in your life see how they make a difference in their lives.
When you talk to someone about his or her day or what has been going on lately then make sure to point out how he or she also has spread kindness and happiness. People are often unaware of the positive things they do or they minimize them in their own minds.
So, help them to see themselves in a more positive light and to improve their own self-esteem.
7. Pay it forward.
When someone does something kind for you – no matter how big or small – then try to pay that forward by being kind to someone else as soon as you can.
8. Be kinder towards yourself.
Then you will naturally treat other people with more kindness too. It is truly a win-win habit.
A simple way to start being kinder toward yourself is to each evening write down 3 things you appreciate about yourself and about what you have done that day in a journal. (See the Gratitude Challenge Post for more information)