When reflecting on the importance of kindness, it’s easy to say, “I want to bring a positive change to the world.” As a college student busy with exams, classes, and balancing personal life at the same time, sometimes bringing about change feels like a far-out concept. Many may feel that bringing real change is something we’ll do once we’re older, settled in our careers, or when we have more time. There may even be times when we doubt our ability to make a positive impact on our world, but real change doesn’t necessarily have to be brought on by an epic moment.
Big changes can be brought about by simple and small acts of kindness. This concept may be something you’ve heard countless times, but, sometimes, it’s helpful to be reminded that you can make a difference. Anyone can accomplish an act of kindness anywhere, anytime, and any place! Here are a few ways you can help spread kindness and positivity wherever you go!
1. greet others with a smile
A simple smile can go a long way. Greeting others with a “hello” or a smile boosts positive energy and strengthens a sense of community. Many believe that smiling is contagious; you can test this theory by smiling at your classmates, professors, loved ones, and strangers. Greetings and smiles communicate to others that you acknowledge them. Smiling has the power to create a ripple effect that can uplift the people around you.
2. give a compliment
Can you remember the nicest compliments you have received? How did these compliments make you feel? Compliments are a way we can empower one another and show others they’re appreciated and admired. Tell someone you liked their outfit, their energy, their laugh, etc. What good does it do to admire traits in others and not be able to let them know? Giving someone else a compliment can boost one’s confidence and brighten their day. In a world with so much negativity, bring a surge of positivity!
“In a world with so much negativity, bring a surge of positivity!”
Siannah Buendia
3. lend a helping hand
There are so many ways we can help others. Kind gestures such as helping someone carry something or picking up trash are quick ways to show kindness to others around you. Volunteering and donating to charities and food drives are activities that don’t take too much time and have opportunities everywhere. You may even be able to lend a hand, or rather an ear, to those in need of advice or someone to listen to them. This gives you a chance to offer support, knowledge, and assistance to your community members. I know how much I’ve appreciated someone helping me, in both big and small ways, and would want to reciprocate it back whenever given the opportunity.
4. check in on your loved ones
Checking in on loved ones, whether it’s a quick text or call, can make them feel appreciated and loved. If someone is having a rough day, asking them how they are and how their day has been can provide them with support through difficult times and show them that you’re here for them. Letting others know that you’re thinking of them makes them feel special and reminds them that the relationship is meaningful. Through these small acts of kindness, we may be able to brighten someone’s day, create a ripple effect, or create a long-lasting impact on the lives of those around us.
Wanting to leave an impact on the world is a common desire. I believe that small acts of kindness are often overlooked as a way of changing our world. Radiating positivity and kindness can inspire others to want to do the same. You may never know what someone is going through, but you can be the person who spreads their kindness to others. In doing so, you’re changing the world around you, one act of kindness at a time.
There was a poster in a classroom I once volunteered in with a quote by Maya Angelou that reads: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”