There a loads of movies and books dedicated to the subject of kindness without hope or agenda. It is not a difficult or hard to achieve concept - to do things everyday for the greater good with no selfish intent. It's about conducting your day with common courtesy and simple good manners. Living out kindness does not require massive changes in behaviour or routine, just small considerations with regards to ensuring you keep other peoples feelings in mind while going about your day. And while the ways to achieve this sort of manner of conduct are endless, lets start with a few simple ways you can make someone elses day a little brighter:
Saying thankyou, to the barista that serves your coffee, to the bus driver who lets you off by your workplace, to the drivers that stop to allow you to cross at the pedestrian crossing. Just because it's their job or your right does not mean a simple thankyou is redundant. A smile & kind word can make someones day.
Apologising. Cut someone off? Give them the wave. Step on a fellow shoppers toe in a busy store? Smile & say sorry! Saying a quick sorry can make someone feel a lot better in light of small & often unintended actions.
Holding open doors. Don't just push your way through leaving the door to slam in the face of whoever is behind you, slow down, turn and smile at the person & hold it open for 2 seconds longer! You never know who you're holding it open for... that person could really do with the helping hand... a mother with a pram, a student with their hands full... or just someone not expecting the helpful gesture.
Smiling at strangers. Simple. You don't need a reason. It need not be bold. Just a simple smile as you pass.
Pay for someone elses coffee. Pay for your own & leave a few quid to cover the next persons drink. Way to make someone smile, first thing in the morning!
Giving your train seat up for someone who needs it more. Don't bury yourself in your paper or become all consumed in your music that you miss noticing the pregnant/older/injured person struggling to stand. Jump up & do the right thing... it doesn't matter much to you, but it can make the less abled persons journey a lot safer & more enjoyable.
Listening to your ipod at a level that means the rest of the bus does not need listen too. If only everyone travelling on public transport would adhere to this one. Sometimes metal/techno/euro pop is not what you want to wake up to.
Keeping an eye out for shorties struggling at the supermarket & grabbing down items from those just out of reach high shelves for them. Many a time has a kind little old women injured herself falling after a grand effort to scale the shelves - you can save her ;)
Buying a copy of The Big Issue from street vendors. & tipping them a pound/dollar. These guys are having a rough trot of it, but they are out there trying to do something about turning their circumstances around. So cut them a break and grab a copy of this great publication.
Utilising public recycle bins, rather then just tossing rubbish into general bins, every little helps! At home and at the office most of us have recycling systems set up, but when we are out and about we tend to let the green clean living concept fly out the window. More and more city councils are implementing recycling bins in public areas, so if yours has, make sure to use them.
Giving your old clothes to a charity op shop/thrift store. One womans trash is anothers treasure. Your castaways could be someone elses delightful wardrobe glee or help out clothe someone less fortunate. If it is still good, don't trash it, thrift it!
Donating your time to a local charity. Most charities need more hands then they can get. So if you have a free Saturday morning, why not check out if any groups in your community need a hand.
Bake a cake & share it with your colleagues at morning tea. Bake your cake and eat it too!! It's an easy way to get in with your colleagues.
What random acts of kindness do you implement in your day?
I love putting random acts of kindness out into the universe... if I have people waiting for their kids at our work I'll make them a cup of tea from our staff supply, I let cars merge in front of me even when I don't have to. The one thing that sucked was when I hurt my knee and got all these glares from older ladies for not giving up my seat on the bus. I usually always do, but I couldn't handle surfing the aisles with a sore knee. I think that if it's a forced act of kindness (like if they'd guilted me into standing up) then its not an act of kindness at all.
this was a cute post. i try to do little things like smiling at people, saying please/thank you, and generally being courteous. it makes my whole day when someone random does something nice for me or compliments me. everyone should work on their charm!
I do try to be friendly to anyone I encounter, and I don't sit on trains or buses or subways if there are children or old ladies that need my seat instead. I love the idea of paying for someone's coffee, I'm going to do that next time I go to a cafe!
Nice post. It made me smile and it also inspired me to be more aware of opportunities to make someone else's day a little easier. The one about the short people in the grocery store made me giggle, as I am a shorty myself, but on a couple of occasions I have offered the services of my taller partner to help out a fellow short soul.
Still looking for someone like that. Plus someone for the long term. Seems like most women, but not all women. Just what to have that temp thing, and no long term.
Yes - I am one of the shorties of this world and I really appreciate when someone blessed with height assists me in obtaining that item from the top shelf. I use this inability to help myself as an excuse to meet one more new aquaintance. Most people are wonderful and yes we do have a little chat which is one of the more pleasant interludes in my shopping trip.
Kate is the 23 year old Australian web editor behind treslola.com (and tresviva.com).
After 3 years of living and working in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Kate has returned to Sydney to study journalism.
Her adoration runs deep for London, dumplings, bubble tea, David Tennant, John Barrowman, How I Met Your Mother, Peaches, travel, progressive activism and writing. Learn more about Kate and treslola.com here.
Scribbles said...
Kate is the 23 year old Australian web editor behind treslola.com (and 
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