Next time you are walking down the street, look around and be actively observant. Every single person you see has their own obstacles they are hurdling over. If you wake up and spill your coffee everywhere and you are running late for an important meeting, think of it this way: "Someone else has it worse." Having this mentality could open your eyes to many realizations.
Be grateful for the life you live and the shoes that you walk in, but don't for one second fail to forget the hardships of others. Many people tend to overlook the simple ways they can turn someone's day around with a small lift of the finger.
1. Just smile
Smiling is contagious, it's as simple as that. You see a stranger, just smile. You may not realize the impact you just had on that person.
2. Pay it forward
If you're in line for Starbucks or just about any drive-through, tell the cashier you would like to pay for the car behind you. Even if you can't be there to experience their reaction, you may have saved someone more than you thought.
3. Let someone go in front of you in traffic
If the streets are busy and the traffic isn't budging, let the car to the right of you get out of their neighborhood. It takes nothing but a few seconds to help them out in such a simple way.
4. If someone is angry and shaken up, be nice and be genuine about it
You can turn someone's mood completely around just by being genuinely nice and caring. Offer to listen a few extra minutes if they are willing to tell you what is going on. Act as if you're a friend, don't be artificial and seem like you will forget them the moment you walk away.
5. Compliment someone
This tip can be so rewarding and you might get a compliment in return. From saying you like someone's smile to their style of choice, complimenting someone goes a long way and will give them a boost of confidence. It takes but a minute to make someone's day just a little bit better. You might not get to walk in their shoes, but the smallest gestures can make someone go from feeling down to feeling on top of the world.
The stranger you smiled at could be struggling with a hard loss; maybe a pet, a family member, or a friend was taken from them that morning. Your smile gives them that glimpse of hope that they had been looking for.
That person that you paid $2 for their coffee in the drive-through, could be living paycheck to paycheck and has been up all night working. They hadn't gotten much sleep and needed an extra boost of energy to start their day.
For the car you let go in front of you, maybe their alarm clock failed to sound and they are about to be late to an interview. This interview is for a job they absolutely need to support their family.
The person that you were genuinely nice to maybe has been struggling with a specific situation. They haven't been able to confide in someone they trust, and a genuinely nice stranger is all they needed to get it off their chest. On the other end, maybe they just needed a friendly face to talk to for a bit.
Lastly, the person you complimented; Maybe they have been struggling with self-image for as long as they can remember. You giving them a simple compliment just made them feel empowered for the first time in a long time.
Although these are just hypothetical scenarios, they could be a reality for the person walking next to you on the street. For any chance you get, you have the power to give a stranger the feeling of happiness.
Think to yourself next time you hesitate to be a friend to a stranger.
