Valuable acts of kindness
NEVER Underestimate What a Little Kindness Can do.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: every act of kindness we extend to others; every bit of care we provide others, is extremely valuable.
My post Do Little Rather than Nothing suggests that we have the ability to change someone else’s life, 365 days of the year. The attached article at the top of this post reveals how important one person’s generous act was to someone whose life was about to change forever.
Why do we wait until we can do something grandiose to exert a positive imprint on mankind? Why do we ignore the multitude of small opportunities presented to us in which we can impact a person’s life for the better? Whether that opportunity requires we spend 30 cents or 3 minutes on someone in need, we always have a choice of whether or not to allow a momentary inconvenience to be a part of our day – a miniscule inconvenience that nonetheless greatly benefits others.
The other day, I was driving into town and came upon a four-way intersection. Another car approached the intersection from my left. I determined that the car arrived just before I did so I waved the car ahead to let the driver proceed before me.
The driver of the vehicle behind me took exception to my act of courtesy. He probably assumed that since I was situated to the right of the driver that I had waved through, I had the right to go before him. Mind you, I had a better vantage point to determine arrival time at the intersection, not the driver behind me … a driver who decided to honk his horn at me for stopping to let the other driver advance before me, and who frantically waved his arms inside his car to get my attention in the hopes that I wouldn’t delay the progress of his day by 5 seconds.
As I’ve stated in the past, we can change someone’s day for the better or for the worse. I chose to change the day of the driver to my left for the better by extending him the courtesy of proceeding before me. The driver behind me chose to change my day for the worse by rudely sounding his horn in disgust over my extended courtesy.
When it comes to a choice, I will always err on the side of kindness, without apology.
Living: the ultimate team sport 
December 18, 2015 at 1:36 pm
[…] also: Your positive imprint on mankind, Do little rathe than nothing, Valuable acts of kindness, Positive community […]
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August 7, 2015 at 3:54 pm
I admit to being both types of drivers on occasion. I’m working on being courteous more often than impatient.
Thanks for the reminder.
Theresa
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August 8, 2015 at 8:24 am
We’ve all been there, to be sure.
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August 5, 2015 at 1:58 pm
Love your post Irene…what a great perspective. Keeping in mind that our little acts do count!
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August 5, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Thanks, Patti. One can never know what type of effect our actions – or lack thereof – will have on a person.
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August 5, 2015 at 10:50 am
I can’t stand drivers, like the one you described, Irene. I refuse to let them ruin my day. It’s amazing how impatient people become when they get behind the wheel.
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