Be Kind to Others: A New Year’s Resolution

I received a text message from a woman in my community I didn’t know. She found Scribble’s dog tag, which was lost six months ago. She finally wrote, “I’ll meet you in front of Smart and Final in 10 minutes.”

I bought Scribble a new tag ages ago, but I wanted to meet this kind person willing to go the extra mile for a stranger. Leslie turned out to be a happy woman who gives many hours of her time rescuing animals. Since I told her about my deafness, she removed her mask so I could understand her. 

Like Leslie, Dionne Warwick understands the true meaning of kindness when she sang, “What the world needs now is love sweet love, not for some, but for everyone.” She might as well have sung about kindness. Like love, “it’s the only thing there’s too little of.” 

Besides going out of our way to return a dog tag, what are other forms of kindnesses we can perform? Here are a few ideas:

            • Give an unexpected compliment.

            • Let the lady with a bottle of wine ahead of you in line at the grocery store. 

            • Slow down to help merging traffic. 

            • Give up your seat to an elderly person on a bus or subway.

The kindness list is as long as your fertile imagination can make it. Here’s another example: 

Two years ago, an elderly woman, Leona, twenty years my senior, asked to be my friend on Facebook. Once I accepted, she messaged me. Thinking that she may be lonely and in need of a friend, I responded. Today, she tells me how important our connection is to her. Bringing joy to someone’s life is a true act of kindness. 

In her novel, Just a Bit of Magic, Barb Bissonette writes, “Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and forgiving heart, one who looks for the best in people.” Not only will you become happier, but you’ll “leave people better than you found them.” Isn’t that the reason we’re here?

How does being kind to others help you? According to the article, “Kindness Health Facts,” being kind to others increases oxytocin production. (Oxytocin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland.) It’s responsible for increased feelings of happiness, which boosts feelings of trust which helps reduce anxiety and elevates self-esteem. 

Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions about losing weight, spending more time with family, quit smoking, or getting fit. I strongly urge you to make a resolution about being kind to others. It will not only improve your feelings about self and others, but you’ll also be adding something the world has too little of.