Kindness is a lot like a prankster’s gift… even if it comes in a small box, the prize can be remarkably big or, conversely, a big and brightly wrapped box might not have anything that spectacular inside (unless you’re morbidly fascinated by bubble-wrap). Think about it… if I give $50 to Bill Gates, is he really going to be all that impressed? Sure, to me, it’s a noticeable amount of money, but he would earn more in the time it took him to open the envelope than he’d gain from its contents. On the other hand, a $5 bill handed to a homeless man could make the difference between going hungry and going to bed with a full stomach. With that in mind, here are some relatively small acts that can really make a positive difference in somebody’s life despite the minor effort required.
- Hold a door for somebody even if you have to wait a bit for them to catch up. Don’t look impatient about it and give them a smile as they breeze by.
- Thank somebody for holding the door for you. Do it with a sincere smile.
- Actually take an interest in the response when you ask somebody, “how ya doin?”
- Leave a 100% tip at lunch today.
- Let a merging car in with plenty room and give the driver a wave.