Lately, it seems like everywhere we turn there is some new negativity rising. Whether it be the separation between the people, the hateful words that are thrown around more and more, bullying in schools, and the ever upsetting news that seems just to keep coming, it seems like every day I hear people complain about the state of our world. So what are we doing to change all this negativity? How often do we focus on the good things around us rather than the bad? In a world that is constantly filled with negativity, I firmly believe a little dose of positivity can go a long way.

So in light of all the negativity, I decided to do a little experiment, the ultimate question was can a little positivity, change the day? Pretty simple, right? So I challenged five girls (myself included) at Kansas State University to do one nice thing for a stranger every day for a week. These nice things could be anything from holding the door to giving a compliment, really the only requirement was that we go out of our way to do something nice and have a positive impact without wanting anything in return, and here is what we found:

It is harder than you think.

"It's hard because I get so nervous. What if they think I'm wierd?"

The world around us has somehow evolved into a world that thinks "cool" is not a synonym for kind. In all reality this experiment requires one act of kindness a day, that's not too much to ask, right? However, all of the girls who helped with this experiment commented on how much harder it was than they thought it would be. In a mind that commonly overthinks and over analyses our actions, these simple compliments and acts of kindness are things that our brain has been trained to say is 'awkward' and 'weird.' As the week went on and we kept making an effort to be positive and create acts of kindness, for some it became an automatic and started to feel natural, for others, it just faded into the background. By the end of the week, it no longer felt like I was 'going out of my way' to be positive and kind to others. If that happens in five days, imagine what could happen in a year?

Reactions may vary.

"Are you kidding?"

Even though one of the criteria for this experiment was that we do nice things without expecting anything in return, we always get a reaction. The very first day of the experiment I walked into class and complimented the girl next to me on her socks (They were super cool and had llamas on them.) No joke, she looked me straight in the eye and asked if I was kidding. What kind of society have we created that people think a compliment is something mean or a joke? Anyway, although that was discouraging, other girls had better success. A few started a chain reaction in class and caused everyone in the class to talk to each other in a positive conversational light. Over the course of the week, a few of our good deeds had been ignored and taken as a joke, but the ones that were worth it were the ones that appreciated the little compliments and the ones who lit up when they realized what we were doing. In the end, they were all worth it because what if because I smiled at a kid on campus, they smiled at the next person they saw, and the cycle continued? What if that one little compliment I gave to my classmate was the confident booster they needed?

Do Good, Feel Good.

"I actually feel like we are kind of friends now."

It is no secret that good things come to good people. By far my favorite thing that happened during the week of this experiment wasn't even my experience. One of the participants in our little social experiment went out of her way to give an acquaintance a ride to dinner, on the way to dinner they talked and had a genuine conversation. By the end of it all, they had become friends, and it has really changed their interactions. I see tweets all the time of people complaining about 'having no friends' and 'being all alone' but what would happen if these same people sat down and had a genuine conversation with the people around them? Are we that afraid of social interaction? Or are there just no 'good people' to be friends with? I am not saying that everyone has to be friends and hug and sing songs because that is not realistic, but it doesn't hurt to give people a chance. Personally, I think that we, as a society, don't give enough people a chance. Even a nice conversation can bring a little positivity into the world.

Social Media Sucks.

"All that's on social media is arguments and dog pictures."

First and foremost, the world needs more cute animal pictures. Secondly, every time I get on social media my feeds are cluttered with arguments, hateful words, and hurtful pictures. The state of social media is getting sad, like sad puppy commercial sad. You do not have to argue with Becky on social media because you don't like her tweet, you do not have to post searingly negative articles in response to what Jill posted, and you do not have to call Tom names because he shared a picture that you don't agree with. You do have the right to share your opinions and beliefs however you want, but that doesn't mean you should bash and argue with people just because they have different views and beliefs. What would it be like if we commented and tweeted positive things and had conversations rather than argued and called each other names on social media? The world needs more cute animal pictures and fewer arguments and hateful words.

In conclusion...

To answer the original question of the experiment, "Can a little positivity change the day?" Yes, it can. It might not make an enormous impact on my day by giving a classmate a compliment, but it gave her a little extra confidence. It might not change my world if I help a kid pick up what he dropped, but it might change the way his day is going. In the end, the world will not change into a positive place overnight but it has to start somewhere. It cost $0.00 to be a decent human being, it costs the exact same amount to look for the positives around us, and it is just as free to be kind.It's everyday people who will change the negativity into positivity. So my challenge to you is for you to go out and do or say at least one nice for someone else every day, even smile at the people walking by, just make an effort to be kind to one another.