The Potency of Small Acts of Kindness
Do a good turn daily
The scout motto is to do a good turn daily. To be of service to others and strive each day to make the world around you a better place. When I was younger, this took the form of thanking my mom after cooked dinners, holding the door for my grandparents or always greeting the school cross guard on the intersection of 1st Avenue and Camino Real. Today with the last months of my scouting journey concluding and my high school graduation fresh in memory, I took the opportunity to reconnect with the scout motto. These are my unfiltered experiences recording some notable small acts of kindness over the past week and the invaluable insights they’ve taught me.
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My Saturday morning long runs are nothing short of eventful. The streets are teeming with large bike groups, Asian grandparents practicing Tai Chi in the park, and the sweet melody of birds chirping. It’s the perfect rush of endorphins, sunshine, vitamin d, and gratitude to be alive. I make the effort each run to share this positivity with others in cheerful morning greetings and “have a great rest of the weekend” goodbyes (my record is 45). Smiling and sharing morning conversations with strangers has been my outlet to distract myself from the monotony of long-distance running and connect with others in my community.
So after briefly saying hi to 2 elderly women after more than 6 miles of intensive uphill running, I deliberated. Continue running, shower sooner, and satisfy my nagging hunger or stop to help another person in need? In a moment of spontaneity, I slowly came to a halt and happily began to turn back to the elder woman. “Good morning ma’am, would you like any help carrying the boxes to your car?”
The spontaneous nature of giving and receiving kindness is quite special.
It was a moment of politeness, vulnerability, and serendipity. To my amazement, they returned the smile and I insisted on helping them with carrying the boxes despite their hesitance citing my “parents raising me well” as justification to help. “Where are you heading and what are your weekend plans?” As we slowly made our way to the trunk of their SUV and exchanged conversation, I couldn’t help but beam with pride and happiness at the entire ordeal. Laura and Barbara had been two strangers living on opposite sides of town several minutes ago, but they now felt like distant grandparents I hadn’t seen in years.
We exchanged our goodbyes and they thanked me for taking the time to be kind. They drove off to meet with their grandchildren for a weekend at the beach and I continued to run, beaming with joy. The unexpected encounter left me feeling warm inside and inspired over the last 4 miles of my run.
Individual small actions can have tremendous positive impacts on the world.
Who knew that taking the time to stop and offer help to others in need could have such lasting impressions on my world views? In an ever-growing divided world where political and racial tensions frequent national headlines, the morning of May 28th, 2021 has given me hope that individual small actions can strengthen communities and spread positivity. It inspires me to continually help others and to do a good turn daily. From writing thank you letters to under-recognizing office secretaries, referring others to summer internship offers, or being there for a friend in need, reconnecting with the scout motto has made my world a brighter place.
I am more than confident that Laura and Barbara shared that positivity with others and helped a stranger in need throughout their beach trip.
