Do You Ever Display or Receive a Random Act of Kindness?

Being kind is something that is easy to do, yet many people don’t do it. Almost everyone has experienced a random act of kindness and they may have even performed some. However, those moments tend to be few and far between.

Even in an argument, kindness can win the day. As our pastor’s wife is fond of saying, “It is better to be kind than to be right.” The saying is an allusion to the fact that even if your facts are right, the goal should never be to win the argument. That isn’t human nature, so it is something that needs to be worked on by most of us. We want to win that argument, even if we gain nothing when we do. It is far better to be kind instead.

A random act of kindness doesn’t need to be anything major. In fact, most often it is something we barely even think about. If you hold a door open for a total stranger, especially if you hold it open a little longer than is necessary just so they will benefit, you’ve displayed a random act of kindness. Offering to assist someone who is trying to carry something heavy is a random act of kindness. Even giving a sincere compliment is a random act of kindness.

None of these things amount to much, but they have a cumulative effect. They can brighten a person’s day. There have been times when I’ve complimented a woman about how beautiful her hair is and almost immediately, the woman beamed her appreciation since she seemed to know that I was sincere and definitely wasn’t being flirtatious. I try, not always successfully, to notice the little things. It isn’t always easy to notice that a 260-pound man has lost 10 pounds, but it is noticeable with enough awareness. A compliment of, “You are looking great, better than the last time I saw you” is a random act of kindness.

Interestingly, acts of kindness can help us mentally and physically. The act of giving someone something releases endorphins in the brain and has been clinically proven to lower blood pressure, to slow heart rate, and to slow respiration, all of which are healthy.  Performing a random act of kindness causes the same physiological changes. Thus, being kind is good for your health.

Of course, we should all be accepting of random acts of kindness and not be immediately suspicious of ulterior motives. However, we should also have the thought in the back of our minds at all times to perform that random act of kindness every time there is an opportunity. 

If we all did this, our lives would be better, richer, and healthier, yet we would also be making a positive impact on people around us. Doing something out of kindness can raise another person’s mood, while at the same time, raising our own.

That part is a truth that is surprisingly vital. If you are having a bad day, go out of your way to be kind to someone else. It is guaranteed that your own day will get better when you do. Doing this isn’t always easy and being kind to someone you don’t perceive is worthy of kindness is even harder, yet the impact on your own life can be tremendously profound.