insideKENT Magazine Issue 83 - February 2019 | Page 122

RANDOM ACTS OF kindness CONT.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO
COMPLIMENT A
STRANGER, AND LEAVE
POSITIVITY WHEREVER
YOU CAN.
EVERYDAY KINDNESS
Smile – everyday to everyone. Make a point of
smiling at strangers; it heightens mood, aids
happiness, will often result in a smile in return and
hopefully will inspire them to smile more that day
too. Say thank you (and mean it) and make a point
of a saying a special thank you every week to someone
such as your delivery driver, refuse collector, or your
childcare provider.
Hold open a door and give up your seat, be it
on the train, the bus or even in a waiting room.
When it comes to driving, give up your parking
space and be polite on the road or take time
to help someone who is lost. We’ve all been in
the wrong lane, edged out at a dodgy turning and
done the circuit for the best spot at the car park –
even when you may feel in a rush you can afford to
give up a few minutes of your time.
Be kind to your server, cashier and waiting
staff. Manners cost nothing, but when you can
afford it, leave a generous tip to recognise good
service and make a difference to your server. Pay
for coffee for the next person in line, or add one
to the tab for someone who couldn’t afford one
otherwise. Next time you dine, anonymously gift
dessert for a neighbouring table.
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Compliment generously by leaving a positi ve
comment on a b log post you have enjoyed
reading. Tell a parent how well behaved their
child is, congratulate someone on how well
they look. Don’t be afraid to compliment a
stranger – tell them you love their hair, coat, shoes
etc. Praise a local business online, and better
yet, don’t write that angry Facebook post or tweet
– let it go instead.
When dining out, eat local to support local
producers and providers; when dining in, cook an
extra portion of dinner to share with a neighbour
or freeze for someone else, or invite someone
over to dine with you. Share a favourite recipe;
make two lunches and give one away, and when
shopping, buy extra dog or cat food and donate
it to a local rehoming or rescue centre.
Leave a pound taped to a trolley, or by a pay &
display machine; return a shopping trolley for
someone who is loading up their car or let someone
go ahead of you at the checkout.
Give your time and volunteer to read at a local
primary school, visit a car e home and play a
board game with a resident, or take out a
neighbour’s rubbish bin. Litter pick next time
you are out and see rubbish on the streets, and put
an end to the selfie by offering to take a photo
for someone.
Donate what you can: old books or toys to your
local hospital, or clothes for y our local
charity. Take flow ers into a car e home ,
hospital or hospice, staff will know of someone
who doesn’t receive visitors and pass them on or
place them in a relative’s room. Create a car e
package for the homeless, fill an old handbag with
women’s hygiene products or a new pair of socks
with a toothbrush and deodorant.
Leave positivity wherever you can – leave a
positive message or inspirational quote on post-its
or notecards somewhere public, in toilets,
traffic light buttons, a supermarket shelf or inside a
library book.