“I’m invisible,” she thought as she drifted through the dense crowd of people. They all seemed to have a place. Where did she fit in?

Then you smiled at her and told her you liked her shoes. In that smile, you let her know that she was present, she was noticed, she was a part of the crowd, not alienated from it.

She smiled back. “Thank you” was all she replied, but it wasn’t all she felt. You had turned her whole day around—just by the subtle rise of your lips and a simple sentence.

***

“I’m stupid,” he sighed, feeling as if the red ‘F’ tarnishing the first page of his essay was brandished on his forehead. He believed, somehow, the world could detect his failure, sniffing it out like a Bloodhound.

Then you told him he tried his best. You told him he was smarter than he knew. One poor grade didn’t detract from who he was as more than a student—as a brother, a friend, a son.

After some convincing, he believed you, and the ‘F’ faded from his forehead and lifted its weight off of his shoulders and chest.

***

“I’m ugly,” she complained, sizing herself up in the mirror. Everything was wrong. Why couldn’t she look like those models in the magazines? She felt worthless.

Then you reminded her of all of the things that made her beautiful. Her eyes. Her laugh. Her intelligence. Her everything, because the magazines didn’t define beauty. “You are beautiful,” you said for the third time.

Her reflection changed with your words. She saw what you saw. She saw her beauty in her strengths, her weaknesses, her imperfections. She was happy.

***

“I’m overwhelmed,” he cried, burying his face in his hands. Unrelenting stress ate away at him with razor sharp teeth.

Then you reminded him to breathe. You stayed with him until his anxiety retreated, waving its white flag in his mind.

His shoulders relaxed as he turned to face you. You smiled. “I’m here,” you said. And that was all he needed.

***

You hold the door. You lend a helping hand. You give back. You share your umbrella with someone when it's pouring rain. You take the broken pieces of the one's you love and make them whole again. You care. You try. You listen. You console. You make the world a better place.

***

Kindness can change someone’s hour, day, week, year, or even their life. It is of no cost to you to spread it wherever you go and to whomever you meet. Smiles and words and simple acts of kindness are more powerful than one can imagine; utilizing the immensity of their power to shine a positive light on the world is our duty.

Smile. Be there for your friends. Be there for strangers. Be kind.