The world has a tendency to be an extremely selfish place. I constantly see people drop doors for others, or bump into people and not say sorry. The other day I even saw a bike collision on campus, and the person responsible did not say a word to the other person; they just simply got up and biked away. With headlines concentrating on shootings and homicide statistics, it is easy to get lost in all this selfishness and view the world as a horrible place. But I’m telling you, there is so much good in the world. It is just sometimes masked by selfishness.
I had sort of forgotten how much good can come from a stranger until something I witnessed last week opened my eyes again. I was sitting in the quiet section of the library, and a female custodian was sweeping up trash. As she got to the boy sitting about five seats down from me, he took out his earphones, and thanked her for doing what she does. He told her that her presence is part of his daily study routine, and that he wanted to take the time to thank her. The widest smile spread across her face, and she looked so genuinely thankful for his kind words to her. I’m pretty sure she even teared up a little bit. They continued to talk in whispers for a little while, and although I only heard snippets, I heard her say that she had been sick for a while, earlier in the year and that she was feeling better. He told her that he was glad that she was feeling better.
This simple exchange between two strangers had me smiling for the entire day. I realized the importance of the simple things: a hello to someone you see every day, asking a classmate how their day, holding the door for someone else, anything kind. College is a daily whirlwind of going to class, studying, and spending time with friends. But if we pledge to incorporate these little acts of kindness into our daily routine, our lens with which we view the world will change. We will no longer dwell on the selfishness, the sadness, the anger, we will concentrate on the kindness and goodness in the world. Here are a few simple things that you can do to make someone else's day.
1. Hold the door for someone.
2. Ask how your barista's day has been so far.
3. Leave your roommate a nice note.
4. Strike up a small conversation with a stranger.
5. Smile at passing people.
6. When you're having a conversation, really focus on what that person is saying, not the next thing that you want to say.
7. Buy a cookie for a charity bake sale on campus.
8. Offer to pay for a stranger's coffee.
9. Say good morning, good evening or good afternoon to people.
10. Call a relative you have not spoken to in a while.
Here's to a happier world.
