Acts of Unnecessary Kindness

A few weeks ago, my friend Marsha Hoch told me she’s working on being unnecessarily kind.

Yes, you could argue that kindness is never unnecessary. But what she really means is she’s keeping her antennae up for those opportunities you could easily pass by without feeling like you’d been unkind or thoughtless.

Things like helping an elderly woman (or man) carry groceries to their car, smiling at a stranger in an elevator, or dropping off a latte on a Sunday morning to the single mom down the street you’ve only said hello to in passing.

Small acts with a big impact.

And because most of this stuff doesn’t normally even cross our minds in our world of busyness, hurry-up, and too much to do, it turns out to be a fabulous way to practice mindfulness.

Since Marsha mentioned it, I’ve too decided to start committing acts of unnecessary kindness.

It’s amazing how little time it takes to lend a helping hand or make eye contact and smile. Some days I’m more successful than others. Like anything, it takes a while to become a habit!

Mindfulness and kindness … two practices that will make both you and those around you happier.

That’s a pretty good combination!