The key to changing the world is one random act of kindness at a time. I love that message. In a world so hateful and chaotic, it seems as though every news story just gets worse and worse. It’s hard to remember that there is still good in this world and that you can be apart of that.

Pay It Forward

No act of kindness is too small or insignificant. In fact, anything done out of kindness is important and indeed significant. An act of kindness can cause a ripple effect. When we treat others with kindness, sometimes they will pay it forward, and it ends up becoming a chain reaction. You impacted more people than you think.

So What Exactly Is a Random Act of Kindness?

According to Wikipedia, a random act of kindness is “A non-premeditated, inconsistent action designed to offer kindness towards the outside world.” I like how the definition says non-premeditated. The idea of a “random” act of kindness is that it’s spontaneous. An act that is performed on impulse, something done in the moment. It is an act that is meant to simply give, and not expect anything in return.

Smallest Things Matter

It’s incredibly simple as well. Remember, it doesn’t have to always be a big act. It can be as simple as giving a compliment to someone, paying for the car behind you in a drive-thru, smiling at a stranger and telling them to have a nice day, etc. Even when you’re having a hard day, still try to be positive to those around you. If you go to the store after work, always remember to smile at the cashier, ask how they’re doing and wish them a nice day. If you go out to eat, always tip your waiter/waitress very generously. You know how hard things can get and how good you feel when someone does something nice, no matter how small. We are all so consumed with our own lives and problems that we forget that others are fighting their own battles every day.

Without Recognition

One of the things to keep in mind is that these acts are meant to come from the goodness of your heart, something you just do. In other words, you don’t have to post about it. The idea is that you do it without expecting to receive anything in return, including all those likes and comments about how nice that was of you. It was one of the points Wikipedia made in the negative effects of these acts, saying, “People claiming to help others randomly, took selfies on social media, sparking a disaster tourism frenzy of ‘I was there helping’, whereby actual relief vehicles were delayed by the excessively clogged traffic.” I know it’s tempting to tell others about something kind that you did, sort of looking for a bit of recognition, but you don’t need that. Knowing that you did a good deed is enough.

Random acts of kindness are one of the keys to changing the world. It may not fix everything, but it’s certainly a start. It’s time to start being nicer.