THE KINDNESS EXPERIMENT

What do you consider kindness to be?

What might happen if each of us made a conscious effort to go out of our way to be kind today?

Now don't get nervous, I'm not talking about anything huge or costly, just simple things. Little things that used to be considered common courtesy. Things that require us to be present and in the moment. Little things like holding the door for someone a few steps behind us or opening the door for someone coming toward us, and doing it with a smile.

Little things like helping someone load their groceries in the car. If you live in Florida there are numerous senior citizens struggling with getting their groceries from their cart into their car on any given day. Just make sure you smile as you help them. If you are a man in a relationship, you can receive immeasurable points by simply helping bring in and put away the groceries without being asked to help, especially if you do it with a smile.

Do you like to be appreciated? So does everyone else. Write out thank you notes ane leave them in unexpected places. Tape one to your garbage can thanking the garbage man for his hard work. Slip one in the mailbox and show appreciation for the mail carrier. Write out a handful of notes saying "Thank you for your hard work. You are truly appreciated." sign your name and hand them out as you go through the course of your day to people you interact with, the grocery clerk, waitress, taxi driver, a secretary, your significant other, dry cleaner, teacher, janitor, your boss. Everyone likes to be appreciated. It doesn't have to be fancy cards or monogramed stationary, just use what you have, be sincere with your words, and smile.

Here are a few more ideas: If you have flowers in your yard pick and hand out a few. Whistle or hum as you go about your day, it will make people smile. If you ride an elevator, allow others to enter or exit before you. Whenever possible, turn off your phone and truly listen to the conversation going on around you at the dinner table. While driving allow others to merge into your lane easily. Give up your seat on the bus or let someone else have the taxi you just hailed.

If you simply take the daily activities of your life and do them courteously, you will show kindness and appreciation and you will have a three way positive impact on your environment. The person you are interacting with will be positively impacted, you will be positively impacted, any person observing your kindness will be positively impacted. The world needs more positive impact. It's not hard, we can do this. Be kind, be courteous, and remember to smile.