A friend and I were watching football on a recent Sunday afternoon when the network flashed a breaking news bulletin. There had been another mass shooting.
My response? Sigh. My friend’s response was more declaratory: “Hmm, there is so much bad in the world these days.”
I heard what he said and the pessimism in which it was wrapped. Pessimism in humankind. Pessimism in America. Pessimism in our future.
He’s hardly alone. A Gallup poll earlier this year found just 10 percent of Americans think America’s best days are yet to come. A stunning 88 percent think our best days are behind us.
I contemplated his words for a minute, then offered: But there is so much good in the world these days that we never hear about. And there is. How many acts of kindness do we never hear about? How many community-changing efforts go without recognition? How many lives are made better each day, nay, each moment because of the good in the world.
Everyday Brother’s Keeper, Interfaith and the Salvation Army feed hundreds of hungry people. Everyday scores of people get health care they cannot afford through places like The Heart of Florida Health Center or the FreeD.O/M. Clinic.
Then there are the humane acts of Vets Serving Vets, the Marion County Children’s Alliance, the Literacy Council and dozens of civic clubs like the Kiwanis, Altrusa International and the Lions Club.
There’s tremendous power in an act of kindness. Something as simple as giving a compliment can uplift and brighten. In fact, psychologists agree that random acts of kindness are not only good for the recipient – both, their mind and body – but for the giver as well. Yes, being kind is good for your health.
So, as we enter the new year, why don’t we resolve to be kinder? Oh, I know, more than 90 percent of people who make resolutions give up in relatively short order, but that’s because most of the resolutions we make require time, money and/or sacrifice. Think dieting. Think quitting smoking. Think joining a gym … and using it.
So, let’s go for a resolution that costs nothing, improves our mental and physical health and makes the world around us better. A resolution that doesn’t take time, money or much effort.
New year’s resolution: Be kind to others. That’s it. My resolution is to be kind to others, friend or stranger, whenever I can.
The possibilities are endless. We may think that with all our Facebook groups and our Instagram “stories” that we are more engaged and social than ever – you know “social” media. But the truth is, according to a recent study by Morning Consult, some 58 percent of Americans are lonely. Imagine what a brief conversation would mean to a lonely person.
I think of kind gestures that come my way and how much they lift my spirits.
I have one friend, Wes Wheeler, who sends out hundreds of birthday cards each year. He writes a short, complimentary note in each. What a gift.
A co-worker from the past, Judy Green, used to take pictures at company and community events. When she took one of you or your family that she thought was a keeper, she’d put it in one of those decorative cardboard frames and give it as a gift. Still makes me smile.
I was in the drive-through line at McDonald’s awhile back. When I got to the window, the cashier said the person in front of me had paid for my food. I was pleasantly surprised … and immensely grateful. A truly random act of kindness – one I passed on later.
So, folks, happy 2023! How ‘bout we make it the year of the random act of kindness. Take a moment each day to be kind in some way to a friend or a stranger. It doesn’t matter. Either way, we’ll be healthier and happier for it, and it will be a reminder that there is much more good in the world than bad.
A
friend and I were watching football on a recent Sunday afternoon when the network flashed a breaking news bulletin. There had been another mass shooting.
My response? Sigh. My friend’s response was more declaratory: “Hmm, there is so much bad in the world these days.”
I heard what he said and the pessimism in which it was wrapped. Pessimism in humankind. Pessimism in America. Pessimism in our future.
He’s hardly alone. A Gallup poll earlier this year found just 10 percent of Americans think America’s best days are yet to come. A stunning 88 percent think our best days are behind us.
I contemplated his words for a minute, then offered: But there is so much good in the world these days that we never hear about. And there is. How many acts of kindness do we never hear about? How many community-changing efforts go without recognition? How many lives are made better each day, nay, each moment because of the good in the world.
Everyday Brother’s Keeper, Interfaith and the Salvation Army feed hundreds of hungry people. Everyday scores of people get health care they cannot afford through places like The Heart of Florida Health Center or the FreeD.O/M. Clinic.
Then there are the humane acts of Vets Serving Vets, the Marion County Children’s Alliance, the Literacy Council and dozens of civic clubs like the Kiwanis, Altrusa International and the Lions Club.
There’s tremendous power in an act of kindness. Something as simple as giving a compliment can uplift and brighten. In fact, psychologists agree that random acts of kindness are not only good for the recipient – both, their mind
and body – but for the giver as well. Yes, being kind is good for your health.
So, as we enter the new year, why don’t we resolve to be kinder? Oh, I know, more than 90 percent of people who make resolutions give up in relatively short order, but that’s because most of the resolutions we make require time, money and/or sacrifice. Think dieting. Think quitting smoking. Think joining a gym … and using it.
So, let’s go for a resolution that costs nothing, improves our mental and physical health and makes the world around us better. A resolution that doesn’t take time, money or much effort.
New year’s resolution: Be kind to others. That’s it. My resolution is to be kind to others, friend or stranger, whenever I can.
The possibilities are endless. We may think that with all our Facebook groups and our Instagram “stories” that we are more engaged and social than ever – you know “social” media. But the truth is, according to a recent study by Morning Consult, some 58 percent of Americans are lonely. Imagine what a brief conversation would mean to a lonely person.
I think of kind gestures that come my way and how much they lift my spirits.
I have one friend, Wes Wheeler, who sends out hundreds of birthday cards each year. He writes a short, complimentary note in each. What a gift.
A co-worker from the past, Judy Green, used to take pictures at company and community events. When she took one of you or your family that she thought was a keeper, she’d put it in one of those decorative cardboard frames and give it as a gift. Still makes me smile.
I was in the drive-through line at McDonald’s awhile back. When I got to the window, the cashier said the person in front of me had paid for my food. I was pleasantly surprised … and immensely grateful. A truly random act of kindness – one I passed on later.
So, folks, happy 2023! How ‘bout we make it the year of the random act of kindness. Take a moment each day to be kind in some way to a friend or a stranger. It doesn’t matter. Either way, we’ll be healthier and happier for it, and it will be a reminder that there is much more good in the world than bad.
