I'm sure we've all been here at one point or another; you're having a not-so-great day, where it seems that nothing is going right. You are tempted to just crawl in bed for the rest of the day and try again tomorrow. Then out of nowhere, someone surprisingly breaks your day's streak of bad luck. It didn't have to be some huge production, it could have been as small as a passerby on the street saying they liked your sweater. It can cost absolutely nothing, yet be invaluable to a person who needed it. Here are some simple ideas to try and practice every now and then.
1. Give a compliment.
I often find myself thinking things like "I like that girl's boots" or "his sweatshirt is cool", but I rarely vocalize it. If I'm with someone else, I'll tell them instead; this seems odd to me. Let them know; they may even tell you where they got it from. Don't be creepy though; keep it sweet and simple.
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2. Let someone in your lane when driving.
It may not seem like much, but when you're in a rush, this can be an extremely appreciated gesture.
3. Do the "thank you wave" thing when someone lets you over.
And if someone does let you over, show them you appreciate it. This would seem like common courtesy, but this doesn't happen often enough in my experience at least.
4. Send a card to elderly people who are lonely.
Everyone wants to feel thought about, and this includes the often forgotten about senior citizen age group. If you have a couple extra minutes to spare, send a card to an elderly person, letting them know you're thinking about them.
5. Help your server by tidying up your table a bit.
I'm not talking about grabbing a towel to start wiping down the table, but stack your plates and gather your trash into a little pile. It could literally take like 10 seconds, and help your server out some. Win win. \
6. Leave that coupon you're never going to use in the store.
You may not use the dove sensitive skin soap, but somebody else might and would be glad to get a dollar off off for it *raises hand*.
7. Listen to with the intent to understand instead of respond.
Let someone get a full thought out before responding, actually trying to comprehend their mention. This goes back to that unspoken rule of common courtesy thing that we apparently need to speak more about.
8. Offer to help someone who looks like they're struggling with bags to their car.
I'm one of those people who will be determined to make only one trip, no matter how much I have. Many times I fail. Until I can put my own stubbornness aside, I can only hope there will be some good Samaritans out there who don't mind helping me in my self-induced time of need (thanks to those who have been there in the past).
9. Paying for someone's order.
If you have a couple bucks to spare, you can think about paying for someone else's order behind you. This type of "paying it forward" chain has had some incredible results.
Whatever act of kindness you decide to do, you can feel good knowing that you've made someone else's day just that much brighter.
