We are all capable of spreading kindness. Small, simple, or large impactful acts to help someone or do something nice for another person without expecting something in return will often lead to a butterfly effect, a chain reaction, due to the inspirational influence of taking an effort to make someone feel a moment of unexpected happiness or relief. I’ve often read that people will always remember how a person made them feel, rather than what they said. That makes sense since people are rich with feelings and memories. Sometimes nothing needs to be said; just sitting and spending time with them or just listening to them, can be meaningful. And possibly beneficial to both people.
You don’t have to be famous with a big, influential audience to make a difference. Any one person or group of people can come up with something to do to make a person’s day or have an impact on their life.
Ellen DeGeneres often approached kindness as something woven into everyday behavior rather than a headline-worthy act. She emphasized showing up with patience, humor, and a bit of self-awareness, especially in moments when it would be easier to be dismissive or detached. By keeping the focus on ordinary interactions, she helped shift kindness from an abstract ideal into a practical habit. Over time, that steady emphasis encouraged people to see kindness not as a personality trait you either have or don’t, but as a choice you can make again and again.
That reflects how you can weave positive acts of kindness into each day. Even when you feel like doing something you do wouldn’t make a difference, or if the person on the receiving end doesn’t want to be receptive to the effort a person puts into being kind to them. That shouldn’t deter you from trying with others who may need these simple, thoughtful gestures.
There are a couple of movies I enjoyed watching, such as the animated film ‘Wall-E,’ in which a robot’s simple, selfless acts of care and strive to preserve life, foster a connection that drives the story. And the 1946 film, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life,’ which focuses on how one person’s existence shows that each act of good impacts the lives of others, as well as what would have happened to those people if those acts of kindness hadn’t happened by that person, if they hadn’t existed.
As long as you are alive, you will always have an opportunity to connect with people in meaningful ways, which can also lift your own spirits. Whether you volunteer or donate your time, rather than just giving money, or in addition to. Or support a friend or local business by recommending their skills and your experience with them. Or by wishing someone a happy birthday and spending time talking with them. Or you can buy someone a coffee next time you are at the coffee shop and strike up a conversation. One thing, though, just make sure you don’t overextend yourself, because you aren’t going to be helpful to anyone if you don’t take care of yourself as well.
