Kindness Shouldn't Be Seasonal

This is the season I like best, as it tends to bring out the best in everyone. Little random acts of kindness are being done everywhere and by everyone, and I don’t think it is an accident. Why would this time of year be any different? It is because we intentionally recognize thankfulness and have a giving heart toward the holidays.

Every day is full of opportunities for you to make a difference in others, even if it seems small. Yesterday, I opened a door for a lady with a box of books and helped a couple find hooks for their Christmas tree. They returned smiles and said thank you. However, the value I got out of it far outweighed the effort.  I am not saying the only reason to be kind is so that you will get a benefit, but it just naturally happens.

Don’t put kindness in a box for most of the year.

5 Ways to show kindness to others

• Nothing shows kindness better than a smile and a thank you. Practice this the next time someone is pouring you coffee, bagging your groceries, or providing a service that you take for granted.
• Be intentional about helping out of your normal routine. Maybe it is offering to help get a presentation together for the monthly meeting or volunteering for a staff event. Do what no one likes doing for them and you will see kindness reciprocated to you.
• Listen well to others. One of the biggest acts of kindness you can do is to take the time out to be that ear for someone. Sometimes their burdens just need talked through and by you listening you can be there.
• Encourage lavishly. This is investing in the self-confidence of individuals and there is no particular reason you have to do it other than to be a fan.
• Show appreciation for the work people do. Maybe it is through a quick email or better yet a handwritten note. Kindness comes in the recognition of others accomplishments, especially when they affect us personally.

There are millions of different ways to be kind throughout the year. Let’s be a vessel that pours out kindness each day.