A Year of Kindness: Be kind to a stranger
When we’re kind to the people around us — whether we know them or not — we make the world a better place. Practicing random acts of kindness lifts our spirits and warms our hearts – not only in the moment, but long after.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” - Desmond Tutu
Have you ever had a really challenging day — a frustrating kind of day in which everything seems to be going wrong, but then someone crosses your path and says or does something that makes you stop and smile? Maybe it’s the driver who kindly lets you merge into traffic ahead of them when you’re running late. Or the person who compliments your new haircut that you weren’t so sure about. Or perhaps even the stranger in line in front of you who picks up the tab for your coffee. Even the smallest words or actions can completely turn someone’s day around.
This is the sentiment we are carrying into June for our Year of Kindness Challenge, where we focus on extending kindness to strangers.
It's natural – or even expected – that we extend kindness to our friends and loved ones, but why is it important that we do things for someone we don’t know? Every act of kindness we show to those around us can have a ripple effect, inspiring others to do the same. If everyone in our society embraced the practice of kindness, we would see a decrease in conflict, stronger communities, and enhanced happiness and well-being for all. Kindness fosters understanding, collaboration, and trust, which are all vital for us to live in harmony.
If you are not in the habit of extending random acts of kindness to strangers — or if it feels a little awkward at first, start where you are. You don’t have to learn a new skill or do something that feels inauthentic to who you are. What opportunities do you have within your daily routine that can be turned into an offering of kindness to others? Additionally, our June Year of Kindness prompts are outlined below, and we encourage you to join us – and let our little bits of good overwhelm the world!
June prompts
As we continue our Year of Kindness at SSM Health in May, we are focusing on practicing self-love and gratitude. Please, join us!
| June 3 - 9 | Start a chain of kindness at your local coffee shop or fast-food restaurant by paying for the order of the person in line behind you |
| June 10 - 16 | Give a stranger a compliment with no expectation of anything in return. |
| June 17 – 23 | Tape money and a kind note to a vending machine to give someone a fun surprise and a reason to smile. |
| June 24 – 30 | Give up your seat to someone who may need it more than you – or let someone at the store go ahead of you in line. |