One Kind Act

Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about the power of doing one kind act. So you know, as we go about daily life, we're often very absorbed in our own concerns, our own task list and our own desires. So sometimes we really don't give too much thought to what other people might be going through or what they might want or need. Perhaps we feel we're just too busy to really take the time to notice those people around us.

But if we can open up our circle of concern a little bit, we find that there are many opportunities to be kind to others sprinkled throughout every single day of life. Sometimes it might be the simplest gesture of letting another car in on a busy road, smiling at a stranger, offering your seat to someone on public transport when they look like they need it. Other times it might be dropping over to a friend's house who's been feeling down or offering support to a neighbor who needs a hand. I think we often underestimate the power of our kind acts. But it's important to remember that even the smallest act of kindness can mean the world to somebody else.

So I recall a time in my own life where I had just gone through a breakup and I was really incredibly heartbroken and shaken up. I was having a hard time just getting work done, and I was feeling kind of lonely. And there was one particular day that was really hard. And I heard a knock at the door and opened the door and a girlfriend of mine had turned up with a smoothie and a bunch of flowers. Another time I was on a train and someone, at one of the, the train kind of jolted and someone behind me spilt their very hot coffee down one side of my face and my shoulder.

And it was actually, I was in a lot of pain and they just walked away. But a stranger who watched all of this, I was stuck in my seat. I couldn't move, and a stranger who saw this, went and got some ice and gave it to me with a smile. And both of these gestures, I've never forgotten. In, in a moment of pain, it was like their kindness wrapped my pain in love and soothing.

These kind acts reminded me of the goodness and beauty in the world and lifted my mood and reminded me that everything was going to be okay. An act of kindness like these can strike right to the heart of someone and have a ripple effect that extends far beyond just that moment. In fact, the research shows that receiving acts of kindness makes us more likely to be kind in turn. So you really never know just how far one kind act can spread. As Amelia Earhart once said, "A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions and the roots spring up and make new trees." So my invitation for today.

Try looking for opportunities to be kind to others. Be a little more attentive to the people around you and extend your circle of concern to them and see if you can do at least one kind act. I hope you enjoy this practice. And I think you'll find that the kindness that you share always ends up being a gift that we also give to ourselves. So thank you for your practice and your presence here with us.

And let's begin to settle in now, but today's meditation.