Yesterday, I paid the toll on the motorway for the person behind me. I didn’t know them of course, but I hope it made them smile. It certainly made me smile. I can’t claim credit for the idea, I did it because somebody else did it for me and it made my day (it was one of those days!).
It made me think. It didn’t matter if I was the one paying the toll or the one receiving a free pass, both scenarios made me smile. A lot. It also made me think about the power of a stranger with nothing to gain but feeling good.
Lots of great thinkers over the ages believed happiness is linked to our moral values and ethics. Perhaps it could be something as simple as a random act of kindness? If your act of kindness makes one person happy today (or two!), there is the possibility that it could make a huge difference in anywhere in the world tomorrow.
A simple smile can also have far reaching effects. It’s actually quite difficult for our brains not to smile back. Smiling is literally contagious.
We’d love to hear about some random acts of kindness that you’ve experienced, as the doer or the receiver. Share your stories and help us spread the joy!