As the holidays are quickly approaching, I have started to realized that I really need to make my Christmas list. But this year, I have decided that my list is going to be different from my past ones. This year, I want to give more than receive. I do not want something I can hold in my hand; I want something I can witness with my eyes: the happiness of others around me.
Everyone is always talking about how the holidays bring up the idea of “paying it forward,” but in reality, how many people actually follow through with these kinds of actions? Personally, I have not done either yet, so I think we should all start to spread the holiday spirit, but in a different way.
It's the perfect time to be giving, so let’s do it! My Christmas list this year has a theme. It is for everyone to spread this kindness, not only around this time of year, but every month of the year. Being kind does not take much effort. It could be as simple as, holding the door for people, or saying thank you after someone holds the door for you. A simple act can go a long way. These opportunities to be nice are there for us every day. So for the first item on my Christmas list: we should start to hold the door for someone at every opportunity we have. Everybody appreciates that small act of kindness.
With this trend of “paying it forward”, we should think of others. Be the person who starts "paying it forward", and maybe the person behind you will do the same for the next person. Appreciation is key in all the craziness of the holidays. When you think about it, giving is such a better feeling than receiving. The happiness you can make someone feel by getting them the simplest present is so amazing and heartwarming. That makes my next item on my list to give instead of receive. The closest people in your life and even strangers around you would appreciate to receive a present unexpectedly.
Now all of the things that I just talked about everyone has heard before. Everyone knows to say “please”, “thank you”, “you’re welcome”, and to do nice things. But not everyone has repeatedly heard to spread the happiness like I aspire to do with my life. When walking by someone in the supermarket or walking through campus, just simply smiling could probably brighten their day. With the cheer and spirit of the holidays, it also brings plenty of stress. Your simple smile could change their outlook on the day they just had, or the day they are about to have. That makes the next item on my list to spread happiness. You never know what everyone else is going through and the relief someone could feel from a little passing smile could really impact that person’s day.
My last item on my Christmas list is to not let the end of the holidays stop you from spreading kindness. All of these wishes can be done at any time of the year, so do it in the spring, summer, or even on your own birthday. Spreading the joy of giving brings the greatest moments upon us, because knowing someone out there is thinking of you, makes you push through the obstacle that you are really trying to get through.
In reality, not many people follow through with the idea of spreading small acts of kindness, but it really does create a difference in the world. Everyone will always remember that day that someone paid for them in the drive-thru, rather than the gift we didn’t get. This holiday, let's spread cheer selflessly. The materialistic things in our lives don’t really matter if we don’t have the people around us to share it with. Small acts of kindness are what I am striving for in life, and I hope you do too.
