Last week, I experienced a touching act of kindness from a complete stranger. While we were away, one of the pipes in our compound burst. The water started flowing to the road.
A guy who lives on the other side of our neighborhood was taking a walk when he noticed the water flowing from our compound to the road. He immediately notified one of our neighbors, and they called me to tell me about the problem.
The solution was for someone to jump over our fence to check the cause of the problem. The stranger and one of my neighbors jumped into our compound using a ladder.
To make a long story short, they discovered that part of the water pipe had a crack. The stranger fixed the pipe temporarily, and the water stopped leaking.
My neighbor forgot to get the guy’s contact – we wanted to thank him from the bottom of our hearts for his kindness. The incident made me realize there are still many kind people out there.
Although we didn’t get a chance to thank the guy for his kindness, I know that one day, someone will do an awesome act of kindness for him.
In addition, I know that he felt some happiness and joy for his act of kindness because that’s what being kind does to you. In other words, being kind is rewarding.
Do you know you don’t have to wait for opportunities to show kindness to people? You can do random acts of kindness like the stranger did for us.
I’m sure many people had seen the water flowing from our compound to the road (even some of our neighbors), but they just passed by. But the stranger went out of his way to show kindness to us.
The opportunities to practice kindness daily are everywhere. You just need to look out for those opportunities. Here are simple ways you can show kindness to others.
1. Smile at People; It Makes You and Others Happy
There’s a saying by an anonymous person that “A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive it, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever”.
There’s someone out there who desperately needs a smile from you to make it through the day.
You see, smiling is contagious. When you smile at someone, they are most likely to smile back. So, when you smile at someone, you make yourself and the other person happy.
So, try smiling at people more often. That’s what kindness is about.
2. Always Practice Good Manners to Show Kindness to Others
One of the greatest ways to show kindness to others is by practicing good manners. Using the 5 magical words is part of good manners.
For instance, you can say “thank you” to everyone who does something nice for you. When you say thank you to someone, it carries a lot of meaning. The person feels respected and appreciated. It makes their day.
As we say, “charity begins at home”. So, start by saying thank you to your partner, kids, friends, etc. for the little things they do for you.
You can then extend the kindness to people you interact with out there. For instance, you can say thank you to the cashier, the security guard, bus driver, policeman etc.
3. Give Someone a Genuine Compliment to Show Kindness
Another awesome way of showing kindness to someone is by giving them a genuine compliment. A genuine compliment comes from your heart and is devoid of flattery.
Giving someone a genuine compliment is an act of kindness and can make a big difference in the person’s life. Here’s what a genuine compliment does to the receiver:
- They feel appreciated for their efforts.
- It brightens their day.
- They feel good about themselves.
- They feel valued.
- They feel motivated.
- They feel seen/noticed.
So, why not give someone a genuine compliment today? Here are things you can compliment people about:
- Their hairstyle.
- Their attire.
- Their smile.
- The way they handled a situation.
- Their presentation skills.
- A job well done.
- Their promotion.
4. Do a Good Deed for Someone
What the stranger who fixed my leaking pipe did was a good deed. He did a good deed even without being requested. This is an added measure of kindness that is very rewarding to the giver and the receiver.
Here are simple, good deeds you can do for someone:
- Sending someone flowers for no reason.
- Contributing to your local charity.
- Buying a meal for a street family.
- Holding the door for someone behind you.
- Volunteering at the local homeless shelter or hospital.
- Sending motivational messages to someone.
- Giving a good tip to the waiter/waitress.
- Running an errand for an ailing person.
- Allowing someone with few items to go ahead of you at the supermarket.
- Allowing someone to pass you in traffic.
5. Lend an Ear To Someone to Show Kindness
Lending an ear to someone simply means listening to someone attentively and empathetically. Sometimes, all a person needs is someone to lend an ear to them. The person may want to share, vent, or have a shoulder to cry on.
Lending an ear to the person is a great way of showing kindness.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what to say to the person or if you have no advice for them. Sometimes, just listening attentively and empathetically is all you have to do to show kindness to someone.
6. Reach Out To Someone
Reaching out to someone is a wonderful way of showing kindness to others. You reach out to someone to find out how they are doing, to encourage them, or just to let them know that you’re thinking of them.
The person feels special, appreciated, valued, and that they’re not forgotten by friends or relatives.
You can reach out to someone through a phone call, text message, email, etc.
So, do you have a friend or relative who lives alone? Is there someone you haven’t contacted in a long time? Reach out to them.
Reaching out to someone may take a few minutes of your time, but the person you reach out to can appreciate your kindness for days to come.
Conclusion
As I mentioned earlier, showing kindness to others is rewarding to the giver and the recipient. Try doing some of these acts of kindness, and you’ll experience more happiness and joy in your life. In addition, you’ll make the world a better place for someone.
What touching acts of kindness have you experienced in your life? Kindly comment in the section below.
Also, share this article with others. It’s an act of kindness (smiling face).
40 Kindness Quotes to Inspire You to Show Kindness to At Least One Person Today
