Ever have the car in front of you in a drive-thru pay for your drink? Ever have someone allow you to cut ahead of them in line? Or, have you ever received an unexpected gift from a stranger? If you said yes to any of these questions, then you know exactly how good it feels to be the recipient of someone else’s kindness. If you said no to these questions, then you’ve just created the perfect opportunity to start a chain of kindness yourself!
1. Treat a cashier
This is one of my favourite little actions to do whenever I go to the grocery store! When you’re in line at the cashier, have a look at the rack of candy that’s usually next to the checkout lane. Next, you’ll need an Oscar-worthy performance. Pretend you’re really stumped, like you can’t make up your mind about something. Tell the cashier that you can’t choose which candy to buy, then ask them for their favourite. Buy whichever candy they recommend, and after you’ve cashed out, hand it to them and tell them that they’re doing a great job!
The surprise on their face will undoubtedly be memorable and they will certainly break out into a smile. Who doesn’t like a random chance to satisfy their sweet tooth?
2. Leave a snack for the delivery person
This one’s especially nice to do when package deliveries are through the roof, like around the holiday season. Try putting out a box of snacks for the delivery person when you know they’ll be stopping by. Make sure to put a little sign telling them that the snacks are for them, and even add in a little thank-you note! In the summer, you could even put out a cooler of cold drinks.
Postal workers are usually the ones giving the gifts, so let them be the ones receiving a gift for a change!
3. Give a gift card to the next person in line
I once bought a bike from Facebook Marketplace, and myself and the seller agreed on a price of $250. When we met up and I tested out the bike, I told the seller that I was a student and that I was looking forward to riding it to school. The seller then insisted on giving me the bike for just $100, which totally caught me by surprise!
That day, I decided to pay it forward by going to a coffee shop and buying a gift card then giving it to the next person in line for them to use on their purchase. It’s a small thing you can do in the grand scheme of karma!
4. Lay on the compliments
Not all random acts of kindness require spending money or even extra time. Making someone’s day can be as easy as telling them that you like their outfit or that you appreciate their fantastic help when they provide a service to you. Giving someone a compliment, especially strangers, might feel a little weird at first. But, like with all things, practice makes perfect. And what act could be nicer to practice than making someone else feel good?
5. Just say hi!
Probably the most underrated act of kindness is simply greeting someone with a smile. This is especially impactful to those we might take for granted every day, like custodians, bus drivers, or customer service workers. It’s really true –– people will never forget how you make them feel. And making someone feel nice by simply acknowledging and appreciating them is something that can have a lasting effect. A little can go a long way!
Simply being kind to others can be shown in so many different ways and you can implement them in your everyday life. Not only will you help improve someone’s day, but you’ll certainly feel the positive impact on your own well-being –– after all, it feels good to make others feel good! With enough regular practice, perhaps random acts of kindness don’t have to be so random after all.