I dare say that every day brings with it the opportunity to share a kind act with another. Yet, if we’re honest with ourselves we can all recount a time where we have neglected to do so. With life moving so fast, and all the demands it can place on us it is no wonder we end up forgetting to pass out those kind gestures from time to time.

Unfortunately, if we neglect to do so we also miss out on the many benefits which are afforded to those who take the time to do so. Not the least of which is the unique feeling of happiness and fulfillment.

We justify our not giving a kind word or act by telling ourselves all the reasons why the other person is undeserving of our favorable treatment. What is perhaps most sad is that when you give of yourself in the form of some kindness you can’t help but benefit from your gift of kindness as well. It is a strange phenomena indeed. As you give, so you receive. It’s as though you put yourself into a mode that allows you to better receive in kind what you have given. I don’t claim to fully understand how it works, but I’ve seen it come to pass enough to know there’s truth in it. I imagine you’ve seen it happen that way too, right?

There is something very empowering about taking the focus off yourself, if even for just a moment — and placing it on another strictly with the intention of making them feel good or empowering them. Think back to a time where someone gave you an encouraging word. Consider also how it made you feel when you passed along that encouraging word to another. It made you light up just a bit even though you weren’t the one on the receiving end didn’t it?

That’s the essence of what I’m suggesting here. Throughout your day make a conscious effort to give deserving praise. If you will make the choice to do so you can transform the place you work and live. You can transform the interactions you have with those in your life — both personally and professionally. It’s not magic, rather it comes to pass over time, sometimes slow, and other times they appear to pass in the blink of an eye.

The benefits and the satisfaction we gain from doing acts of kindness are vast — and often beyond what we can possibly comprehend. Life truly is like a boomerang, the more good you throw out, the more you shall find that it makes its way back to you.

The point isn’t to be perfect. You will have moments where you will miss the mark. Where you will look back and know you should done this or that. That’s what I like to refer to as being human. We’re not perfect and I dare say we couldn’t be even if we tried. That said, such a pursuit is worthwhile, for as Les Brown so wisely said, “shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars” — and that my friend is worth considering.

It’s your life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

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