A 5-minute conversation with someone could change their life. A short article may be just what someone needed to hear. That seemingly insignificant article could help someone realize it's okay to be introverted. Another could help someone cope with anxiety while waiting through her job application process.
You never know when or how you're going to impact someone.
Every interaction we have with someone matters. Whether it's telling the barista working at your favorite coffee shop to "have a good day" or talking your friend through a difficult situation, what you do and say matters and will impact that person either positively or negatively. Personally, I'd rather make that impact positive! I know that we all have our days and moments where we really just don't feel like being a pleasant person (especially if you have a tendency to get impatient . . . AHEM *me*), but in the same way that no one knows how bad of a day you may be having, you never know what the stranger standing in line next to you is going through. What you say to them could either lift their spirits or break them even more.
Sure, not every single time you talk to someone are you going to have some huge impact on their life. But what if one time you do? Do you want to leave them with hostility? Or do you want to leave them with kindness? It's up to you. I know it can be so difficult to be the "positive person" all the time, but you really could change someone's day by the way you interact with them. I don't have a secret formula or code word to use. As vague as it sounds, each situation truly is different. What helps one person may put another in a bad mood. I have had to make so many judgment calls - do I go up to that person and have a conversation with them, or do I just smile at them from across the room? Again, it's up to you.
It's almost impossible to know what each person needs, but we are all empathetic human beings who have an innate sense of care for each other ingrained in our DNA. If we take the time to evaluate each situation for its uniqueness, we just might be able to sense what that specific person needs in the moment. Our actions may be brushed aside, or they may be just what somebody needed that day. You never know. All I know is that I've been told on multiple occasions, after the fact, that what I said to or did for someone made their day so much better or even gave them perspective on something they had been struggling with. How cool is it that a simple interaction can make someone's day in a split second?
What we do and say matters. We truly may be able to change the world with small acts of kindness that are as easy as saying "thank you."
Remembering how much my words and deeds matter is crucial in my day-to-day life. I could use the reminder every once and a while, especially on those days where I'm not in a good headspace. But, in the long run, it's more imperative for me to put someone else's needs before my own. I never know what could come from an act of kindness. Sometimes, I'm not even aware of the impact I'm making on people on a daily basis. But the people know, and that's what is most important. I don't need recognition for the "good deeds" I've done. My satisfaction comes from knowing I've done what I can to be a positive presence in someone's day - that's all I need to know.
