Grams Wisdom 22

My Gram believed that there was nothing worse you could do than to be unkind. It’s been years but I still remember how my Gram had told me, “a kindness offered to others returns to the giver.” Gram said the warmth in your heart when you are unexpectedly kind is a special feeling that you can’t get any other way.  

Can you remember how you felt after a tough day when a stranger smiled at you?  Or having helped your neighbor carry in her groceries and how she still thanks you for it? Each of these acts of kindness can make a huge impact on someone’s life.

Gram also said kind actions are like giant ripples in a pond. One small action can completely change the life of someone who then pays it forward and performs a kindness for someone else. And the cycle continues and grows.

Regardless of how big or small, the kindness is, it’s likely to have big consequences for your mental health. According to psychologists and researchers, the smallest acts of kindness create a rebound effect on not only the receiver’s psyche but your own as well.

For example, a smile increases a person’s level of comfort along with making them happier. It makes your mood better as well. That simple smile you give could be the reason someone is lifted out of despair.

We can become kinder by practicing every day. Do a random act of kindness each day for someone and observe the impact it has on you. Soon it becomes who you are, and then maybe, how you will be remembered.

Tiny acts of kindness can make a change in two ways; they are the spark for others to begin invoking their small kindnesses, and they have a contagious effect on others. In other words, when we carry out tiny acts of kindness, other people see them, inspiring more kindness.

Let’s look at another example. Say you paint the front door for your elderly infirm neighbor. The lady across the street notices this and offers to do some shopping for him. Perhaps someone else saw this and calls him the next day just to say hello. When you offer service to others with no thought of recompense, it makes you feel happier.

Small acts can create big outcomes

Kind people think others are worthy of consideration for their own sake as fellow human beings. People who tend to do little things to spread kindness are more likely to act in bigger ways as well.

Here are ten ways small acts can have an impact.

1.  Learn first aid. Learning first aid principles can help you be prepared to act if someone needs help in an emergency.

2.  Be a part of a community cleanup effort. Help clean up a park, neighborhood, or local waterway.

3.  Donate toys to the local women’s shelter.

4.  Donate flowers to someone in need in places like hospices, or care homes.

5.  Prepare a hot meal for a neighbor either down on their luck, or unwell. 

6.  Leave snacks in the break room at work.

7.  Volunteer at your local Brownies/Scouts or boys’/girls’ clubs.

8.  Donate books to your local library or children in need.

9.  Remove single-use plastic from your life. Recycle plastics and other recyclables.

10. Volunteer to read to children at your local library.

Whatever you choose to do, every tiny act of kindness can have an immense impact on others in ways you may never imagine. Each tiny act is observed and passed along to another making it expand into a big act.

My final thought

My Gram was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. She often told me if you can’t say something kind don’t say anything at all. And she made it seem effortless. It was never too much trouble to cook for a friend, provide a shoulder to cry on, or keep a great-grandchild overnight so a young working mom could catch an extra shift at her part-time job. Gram thought we all should aspire to be remembered as kind.

If this post resonated with you, please be kind and share it with your family and friends.