Sprinkle Kindness

All too often these days, we hear about bullying and violence and how it affects our kids. Less often, we hear stories of kindness and love and how small acts can make huge ripples. This week, instead of focusing on all that is bad in the world, how about sprinkling kindness around your neighborhood to see how many people you can reach? Here are some ideas of easy, inexpensive ways you can make other people smile.

• Tape change or a dollar bill to a vending machine with a note saying this drink or snack is on you.
• Leave sticky notes on the mirrors in public places with uplifting sayings, like “Be kind” or “Dream big.”
• Pay for the person behind you in line at the drive thru or when you run into the gas station for a drink.
• Write a letter to someone who has touched your life and let them know how much they meant to you. It could be a former teacher or a person who believed in you when nobody else did.
• Compliment a stranger. Do you think their crazy, rainbow hair is awesome or their shirt is really pretty? Tell them!
• Pull your neighbor’s garbage cans up from the curb when you pull your own up or help them shovel their walkway or driveway.
• Ask someone how their day was and really listen to their answer.
• Smile more. Smiles are contagious and even if you do nothing more than flash your grin, you will make at least one other person smile, too.
• Buy flowers for someone who makes your life easier or brighter. Even an inexpensive bouquet from the grocery store will put a smile on someone’s face.
• Paint a rock with a colorful picture and leave it somewhere in public for someone else to find.

Danielle Murphy is mom to three cute (but crazy) kiddos, married to a heavy rescue tow truck driver, and owner of her own creative small business. When she's not busy wrangling kids or letting her creativity take over, she likes to binge watch Psych while drinking Diet Coke.