Why One Simple Act Can Change the World for the Better

Anyone who has attended my classes on a regular basis knows that I typically end my classes with a certain phrase. I know this because I've seen some of you mouth the words as I'm saying them . Every Friday however, I add a few additional sentences. I ask my attendees to do one simple act of kindness that weekend. The only rule is to do it and not tell anyone what you did and why you did it.

One Friday after telling this to my classes, I left the room, only to return an hour later with a box of superhero bandaids on the DJ booth. It was wrapped with a piece of string, and underneath the string was a small piece of paper that said "Not all superheros wear capes, but some do!!". There was no name on the box, and even to this day I have no idea who gave it to me. This one act from a stranger not only made my heart blossom, but also inspired me at that point to try and be a real life superhero for anyone who comes to me for help. It completely reshaped the way I saw myself in an instant, and made me want to try and be an even better person. This is the power that a random act of kindness has.

Kindness, like Covid and chlamydia, is extremely contagious. The amazing thing about kindness is that it brings people closer together. One of the hardest things about our collective experience right now is that humans are more divided than ever before. Not only are we divided by our political views, we are divided by our opinions on science, child rearing practices, the cars we drive, even by the types of fitness classes we attend. Everywhere we look, it's "us" versus "them"; I hardly ever hear the word "we". Now add in the fact that most people walking around see every other human standing near or around them as their potential killer from an invisible virus, and you can clearly see where humanity is going.

Enter the paradigm buster. Kindness.

With one simple act of kindness, you completely alter the course of many people's day. I remember reading a section in The Coast years ago from a girl who was going to commit suicide by jumping off the MacDonald Bridge. On her way to the bridge, a random man smiled at her. This one smile was enough to make her change her mind completely. How utterly powerful is that? A smile?! A tiny minuscule movement of your mouth and cheeks combined with a moment of eye contact. A smile! That's what kindness does. Now what I believe the most amazing thing about acts of kindness is, not only does your action alter someone's day for the better, but since that person feels better, they bring more joy to someone else, who brings more joy to someone else, who brings more joy to someone else, who brings more joy to someone else. Like a torch passed from one human being to another, the world is made a brighter place with ONE simple intention. Beyond that, when you do an act of kindness for someone, it makes YOU feel better. And when you feel better, you do more kind and genuine things for others.

But why do it and not tell anyone? That part is simple; you don't do kind acts to boost your own ego or win "likes" or hearts on social media. When you do a kind act and remain anonymous about it, you accept that deep down good deeds don't need to be recognized by the masses. You know you did your part to help reshape the world in a positive way. You feel better about yourself for having done so, and that's the biggest reward of all.

Now I know that the idea of a simple act of kindness can seem obscure, so let's dive briefly into some things that you can do. Know beforehand, that the list of things you can do with kindness is literally endless, but hopefully the following will jog some ideas in your mind. You can buy someone in line behind you a coffee or pay for someone's bill without them knowing. You can let someone into traffic (yes, in 2020 that counts as an act of kindness). You can give someone a genuine compliment in a non-creepy way; and no "Your butt looks amazing today" doesn't count. You can smile (with your eyes or mouth) at someone. If you see someone who looks troubled, you can invite them to open up; then sit back and listen without needing to give advice. You can buy someone a meaningful gift that calls your attention when you're out and about. You can buy coffee or lunch for your team. You can randomly drop money on the ground and let it find its way into someone's pocket. You can do a few chores for someone, or invite someone to take a much needed break while you cover for them. Not all acts of kindness need to revolve around exchanging money, so get creative and see where it takes you.

Now that it's all said and done; what are you waiting for? Are you going to sit around and complain that the world is a cruel place and do nothing, or are you going to step up to the plate and change it? Try this today. Bring joy to someone; then sit back and watch the world glow.