December 1: Give a stranger a compliment.
You never know, it could end up making their day!
December 2: Hold the door open for someone.
It can be annoying when the person in front of you does not hold the door, so show kindness and make someone's day a little bit easier by holding the door for them.
December 3: Call your grandparents.
Your grandparents love you very much and are very interested in your life. It would make their day (maybe even week) if you gave them a call, even if it is a quick one.
December 4: Bake a friend cookies.
If you enjoy baking, you can make them from scratch. If you find baking tedious, it takes very little effort to buy pre-made cookie dough, throw them on the cookie sheet, and toss them in the oven. Make your friend's day times two if you deliver them when they are still warm!
December 5: Pay for the person behind you when you are in line for coffee.
If you have a few singles on you, hand them to the cashier and tell them that you would like the money to go towards the order of the stranger behind you. It will brighten someone's day to have free coffee and the random act of kindness will make them want to pay it forward.
December 6: Donate $10 to a charity of your choice.
Even if you are tight on money, make a vow that you won't buy coffee or lunch one day this week and donate it to a charity online that has a cause that resonates with you.
December 7: Make holiday cards to give to your family and friends.
Whether you make cards or buy a package of cards at the store, nothing makes someone's day more than getting some old fashioned snail mail.
December 8: Genuinely thank someone.
There are so many people in this world who happily do their jobs, rarely without a thank you. Take the time to genuinely thank someone for all that they do for you, whether it is your parents, your favorite professor, or the custodian at your school or workplace.
December 9: Befriend someone who seems lonely.
I know many of you may say, "No way, that's creepy!" to this, but it is amazing how much of a difference you could make in someone's life simply by befriending them and showing them kindness. Sit with someone at lunch who is sitting by themselves, make conversation with an elderly person who lives far from their family, or extend your friendship to someone you know who is a little shy.
December 10: Write a note for your roommates telling them to have a great day.
All this requires is a sticky note/notebook paper/napkin, a writing utensil, and five seconds of your time! Your roommates will see it and smile when they see your wishes.
December 11: Let someone into traffic while driving, even if you are in a hurry.
Being stuck in traffic is by far one of the most frustrating things that we deal with on a day to day basis. We have all been in situations where we are stuck in traffic on a busy road and we see a car on our right hand side trying to make a turn onto the road. You're stuck in traffic anyways, why not take an extra ten seconds to let that person go and make their lives a little easier?
December 12: Be genuine and compassionate when you ask someone "How are you?" Really listen and show them you care.
How are you? What's up? How's it going? These are all things we say about a million times a day. However, we rarely really care when we ask these questions, but rather, use them as conversation placeholders. When you ask someone, "How are you?" ask it genuinely. If the person responds, "good," ask them about their day or about their family to show that you are interested in their life and well being. It will make them feel good to see that you care.
December 13: Treat someone important in your life to ice cream or coffee.
Take a few minutes to relax from your busy day and invite someone special in your life to an after work or after school treat. It will be a nice way to de-stress after a long day and the fact that you reached out to the other person will most definitely make their day.
December 14: Send a text to a friend or family member telling them that you are thinking of them and to have a great day.
It is amazing how much a simple text such as, "Have a great day!" or, "Thinking of you, hope you have the best day!" can make someone smile. You never know when someone is having a stressful day and something as simple as this could turn their day around.
December 15: Have a genuine conversation with someone that you would normally surpass in the business of everyday life, such as the person who works at your gym, the barista at your favorite coffee shop, or a classmate/coworker.
Life is busy, and often we are moving so fast to really acknowledge all of the people you come across. Next time you are waiting for your coffee, or waiting for class to start, instead of sitting on your phone, make conversation with the people around you. Ask them how they are. Talk about the weather. People rarely socialize with strangers now a days and a quick conversation is a great way to show kindness.
December 16: Be kind to yourself: go an entire day without criticizing yourself.
No matter how kind you are to others, you cannot forget the most important person to be kind to: yourself! We are constantly criticizing ourselves throughout the day, often without realizing it. Try to go a whole day without self-hate. Nix comments and/or thoughts such as, "Ugh my hair looks like crap today!" or, "How could I get that wrong, I'm so stupid!" If you set an intention at the beginning of the day to go without criticizing yourself, you will feel accomplished at the end of the day and will be filled with positive vibes.
December 17: Mail a holiday card to a soldier overseas.
It is incredibly sad that the soldiers overseas are missing this wonderful time of year with their families, so send them holiday greetings to cheer them up. Look into your school or workplace to see if anyone has organized a drive to mail letters or mail cards through websites such as www.operationgratitude.com
December 18: Smile at someone who looks like they are having a bad day.
This is the simplest one of all. Often, when we see someone who looks angry, we say to ourselves, "What a grump!" However, it is quite possible that this person could be having a horrible day or could have had something tragic happen in their life. Smile at someone who looks angry. Whether or not they smile back, you never know how just a simple smile could affect their day.
December 19: Let someone who has less items than you at the store go ahead of you.
If you have a cart full of groceries and the person behind you has a few things, let them go! A very simple act of kindness that will affect your life minimally.
December 20: Talk to someone who is shy.
If you have a colleague or classmate who is shy, take a few minutes to talk to them. You will make a new friend and maybe even their day!
December 21: Try to go a whole day without complaining and make an effort to express what you are grateful for.
Going without complaining will help you to focus on the positives and will send positive energy to the people around you.
December 22: Leave a couple of dollar bills on the counter at your favorite coffee shop. A lucky person will find it and will have a free coffee.
If you have several dollars to spare, be a little spontaneous. We all know how it would make us feel if we found a few bucks!
December 23: Send a funny video to a friend or family member who is having a hard time.
Next time you get a laugh out of a video someone posted on Facebook, send it to someone you know who is having a hard time. Having a few laughs at a silly video will make their day!
December 24: Write a genuine compliment on someone's Instagram or Facebook picture that you would not normally comment on.
Your cousin, your grandma, your old friend from middle school.
December 25: Invite someone who is widowed or from out of town to your family dinner.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, invite an elderly person or someone who is new to town and does not know anyone to your family dinner. It will make a huge difference in their life and will make them feel happy that they do not have to spend the holiday alone.
December 26: Reach out to someone you miss or haven't seen in a long time.
Whether it is a family member or old friend, it never hurts to check in to see how someone is doing.
December 27: Be available even if it is inconvenient.
Yes, we are all very busy. It can be very hard to make plans, as you never know what is going to come up, but if someone asks you to lunch or coffee, just say yes. It might not be convenient and might make your day a little busier, but be available.
December 28: Make an effort to devote more attention to the people you talk to, rather than thinking about and planning what you are going to say.
We all know what it is like to be listening to someone talk, but want to speak so badly that you are just thinking about how badly you want them to finish talking and therefore don't listen. When someone talks to you, take the time to devote your full attention.
December 29: Make a homemade meal and invite a friend or family member over to enjoy it with you.
Whether you enjoy cooking or not, make a meal (even if it is just pasta) and call up a friend or family member to enjoy it with you. Who doesn't love a free meal?
December 30: Make amends with an estranged friend or family member before the New Year.
We all have those people in our lives that we used to be close to, yet no longer talk to. Start the New Year off fresh by calling this person up and making amends. While it might seem awkward at first, making up will make both you and the other person happy.
December 31: Thank a friend, family member, or significant other for all of the memories you had with them in the past year.
You had another great year with all of your loved ones. Tell them how much all of the memories meant to you.
