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Thursday, August 5, 2010

It's the little things...

I recently watched the French film Amélie whose main character becomes a self proclaimed do-gooder after returning a tin of childhood treasures to a stranger. Although her schemes are to bring joy to those around her, it reminded me of the power of random acts of kindness.  If you've been the receiver of such an act, whether it's someone paying for your cup of coffee,  a stranger offering a compliment, or whatever it may be, you know what I mean.  You can't help but smile in wonderment at the selflessness and thoughtfulness of a person who doesn't even know you. Once driving through the toll for the Bay Bridge my friend offered fruit snacks to the worker in the booth.  It's the little things like that that can turn even a bad day into a good one.

Being on the non-receiving, doing something for someone else is a pretty gratifying experience.  In high school my friend and I handmade Valentine's cards.  We carefully crafted each card to be unique with quotes from Shakespeare and such.  We then went into downtown and distributed our cards to complete strangers.  It was a lot of fun and I still remember the experience with fondness.  So this is my call to you: go be inspired and spread kindness to strangers and loved ones alike! 
(oh, and watch Amélie if you haven't yet)

1 comment:

  1. As a side note I think it's important to mention:
    it's best if this is done without expectation of gratitude or kindness from the other because you may not get such a return...you have to realize if someone reacts negatively (or not at all) it is their own baggage that's interfering and has nothing to do with you.

    ReplyDelete

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