Lee’s story
02
Th inking about others
A
fter two years at university I felt that
this route wasn’t the best one for me
and so decided to leave. I was doing fi ne
academically, but with no clear career path ahead of
me I decided to do something completely diff erent.
Now I work at a betting shop and am enjoying the
responsibility of my new job as well as the social
element. In attending Th e Happiness Lab one of
the sessions that I found very useful was the one
on practising acts of kindness. I wouldn’t say that
I wasn’t a kind person, but I don’t think that I was
actively doing random acts of kindness for others.
I didn’t spend every day looking for someone I
could do something good for. One of the principles
that has helped me develop a kinder approach to
life has been that of refl ecting each evening on the
day’s opportunities to be kind that I have either
taken up or missed. I then resolve to act better
the following day. It has also helped me to move
through the day looking out for new ways to be
kind. My brother recently went off to university.
With a mix of my own university experience, and
having been thinking about acting kindly to others,
I fi nd myself regularly on the phone to him off ering
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him support with his work and with anything else
that he could do with a helping hand for. I keep
asking myself: What might he need help with? I
never really thought through what the impact on
me would be after doing kind things for others.
It seemed the right thing to do. What I have
discovered is that I have better relationships, I am
kinder to myself having being kind to others, I am
prouder of the person I am, and am more confi dent
and sure of myself.