I hope you had a great weekend. I did :) My 'golden girls' group of friends all went to a winery. We stay 4 hours and had lots of conversations, laughter, charcuterie, fried chicken wings 'yes we did lol', and how extremely blessed and grateful we are to have each other. We have been friends for an average of 39 years. Alright, let's get into it.
Day 4 of 30 days gratitude continues…
You don’t need money, fancy gifts, or a grand gesture to completely change someone’s day. Sometimes it’s as simple as holding the door, leaving a kind note, or picking up the phone to check in.
These little moments are called random acts of kindness, and they carry more power than most people realize. They not only brighten someone else’s day, but they boost your own happiness too.
Today’s challenge: Do one small act of kindness. Just one. Notice how it feels.
For some inspiration, I’ve put together 10 ideas you can try today.
Read them below.
Kindness doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the smaller and simpler it is, the more surprising and meaningful it often feels. A stranger buys your coffee. A neighbor checks on you. A coworker leaves a kind note on your desk.
These random acts of kindness are powerful because they show us that someone noticed, someone cared, and someone chose to act. And here’s the best part - they don’t just make the other person feel good, they boost your mood too. Science shows that practicing kindness lowers stress, lifts your spirits, and even strengthens your sense of connection to others.
So, where do you start? Try one of these simple acts today:
Pay for the person behind you in line.
Leave a kind sticky note on a mirror, desk, or car window.
Send a quick text to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, just to say you appreciate them.
Hold the door open for someone with a genuine smile.
Compliment a stranger on something you admire.
Donate clothes, books, or household items you no longer use.
Leave a generous tip when you can.
Let someone go ahead of you in traffic or in line.
Call a friend or family member and really listen.
Offer help - carry groceries, give directions, or lend a hand at work.
Notice that none of these require extra time, money, or effort. They’re simple choices that create ripple effects of positivity.
When you practice gratitude through kindness, you’re not only focusing on your blessings but also becoming one for someone else.
Journal Prompt for Today: What small act of kindness did you give today, and how did it make you feel?
P.S. If you missed any days you can always visit Shift Happens to access all the archive newsletters.
I love this. Last year in 2024 I created a random acts of kindness jar. Im it I put 52 names of people I know in my community and each week I would pull a name out of the jar. Then I would text them and ask them what they needed assistance with that week as a random act of service. It was super fun. I did all kinds of things like helping people hang pictures, to giving them business advice, to helping them learn how to edit videos on their computer or use AI to make images.