Make Kindness Count

That sounds like a pretty good thing to me. Showing some kindness to customers, co-workers, animals, the environment, strangers, friends and family; it all translates into making the day a better one for all involved.

Need some ideas to get you going? Fair enough. Please comment and add some of your own and pass this piece on to others – maybe an act of kindness on your part!

1. As you approach a door, take a glimpse behind you to see if there isn’t someone you can hold the door open for. Whether you let them pass ahead of you or you enter first and hold it ajar for them, it delays you for 4 seconds tops.
2. Acknowledge people with a smile as you walk along a street. Some of the most fragile people in our society feel completely invisible. Yes, something as simple as eye contact and a smile conveys, “I see you” and sends a positive vibe.
3. Send an email to one person today expressing something you admire in them.
4. Leave a note of appreciation for the night cleaners who empty your garbage can, dust your furniture, clean your cubicle or office. You may never meet them, but you can imagine the surprise when out of the blue someone unexpectedly says thanks.
5. Get up and offer your seat to others when on transit. Be they elderly, pregnant, in poor health, or perhaps entirely able-bodied and young, it’s still a nice thing to do. Kindness doesn’t discriminate.
6. Drop your change into the charity collection box which is probably on the counter by the cashier or just under the drive-thru window.
7. Turn the tables on the drive-thru employee and as they hand your food to you, look them in the eye and say, “Thank you for this! I hope YOU have a great day!”
8. If you hear the recycling and garbage trucks coming up the street, walk out to meet the people picking up what you’re disposing of and thank them for doing their job.
9. On a blistering hot summer’s day, offer the people picking up your trash a bottle of cold water.
10. About that clerical support you benefit from each day; tell them how much you appreciate what they do just loud enough so a few of the people around them hear the praise. Keep it genuine and short.
11. Go through your clothes closet when there’s a change of seasons and bag up any items you no longer wear and drop them off in a charity box or second hand store. Be kind; wash and dry them first.
12. When others are rude, give them the kindness they may not deserve anyhow. What they are doing might be entirely out of their norm; they might be under extreme stress and pressure.
13. Schedule family time and make family a priority.
14. Cut your lawn and keep your weeds down. Neighbours will thank you.
15. Put a lid on your recycling bin if it doesn’t have one. No one appreciates picking up your plastics and paper which has blown all over the neighbourhood.
16. Let the faster vehicles pass unimpeded. Does it really matter if you’re not the fastest car? This keeps their road rage down, gets speeders out of your rear view mirror and if someone’s going to get a ticket, let it be them! Be kind to yourself.
17. Cook dinner; something they love even if you don’t.
18. Clean up your room without being asked. This goes whether you’re 14 years old at home or 47 years old at the office.
19. Acknowledge the customer in line if you can’t get to them immediately.
20. Answer the phone with a smile; it translate better on the other end even though they can’t see your face.
21. When a co-worker has a particularly challenging time with a problem, offer to lend a hand.
22. When you walk into the boss with a problem, have a possible solution to suggest.
23. Share the road with others whether they are on a bike, walking, jogging, driving a car or truck.
24. Keep from getting behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking or using drugs. Whether on the lake or the roadways, you’re endangering lives and risking hurting the ones who care about you back home.
25. If the food or service isn’t up to par, let owners know without being rude, loud or obnoxious. Take the high road and tell them in a helpful way so they can be better.
26. Thank the newspaper carrier, the postal worker, the hair stylist, the car wash and gas station attendant.
27. Extend an apology when you know you had a part to play in what went wrong.
28. Give credit where credit is due.
29. Praise publicly.
30. Discipline privately.
31. When you ask someone, “How are you?” stick around long enough to hear the reply.
32. Make time for the people you don’t have time for.
33. Do something fun for no other reason.
34. Get healthy so you’re around for those who love you and would miss you.
35. Visit dad and mom; call if you can’t.
36. Laugh often; your heart will thank you.
37. Bag your own groceries and speed up the checkout line.
38. That check out line for people with 1-12 items is for people with 1-12 items.
39. Recognize the good in others and the good in yourself.
40. Pat the dog and get out for a walk.

Written By Kelly Mitchell

Make Kindness Count was originally published @ Employment Counselling with Kelly Mitchell and has been syndicated with permission.

Photo by katerha