“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop
Recently I read about a research study that suggested kindness is literally contagious. According to Science Daily:
“When people benefit from kindness they ‘pay it forward’ by helping others who were not originally involved, and this creates a cascade of cooperation that influences dozens more in a social network.”
One simple act of generosity, consideration, or thoughtfulness can literally have a domino affect, eventually touching people you may never meet. In a very real way, a simple act of kindness can expand your positive impact on the world beyond the limitations of your individual reach.
We might not be able to see it or measure it, but if we all make a conscious choice to be kind, we can create the kind of world we want to live in, starting with ourselves.
I recently contributed to the Kindness Manifesto, a free download available on TheBridgeMaker.com that includes 132 ideas to make kindness a daily habit. My suggestions included:
- Listen without forming an opinion or judgment.
- Give without expecting something in return.
- Help without feeling or acting superior.
- Be willing to say no if it’s the best thing you can do.
- Be kind to yourself–it’s the first step in being kind to everyone else
How do you spread kindness around you?
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