For us at EmpowerMHT it is something we are celebrating because we know how important a simple act of kindness can be to someone who is experiencing poor mental or physical health.
Usually a random act of this nature is carried out by a stranger; it can be something as simple as a smile and a nod “hello” when we are walking down the street, or it can be the person in front or behind you in the supermarket que who gives you some money or even pays for your shopping when you are short or find you don’t have your purse with you.
How many of us have carried out an act of kindness for a stranger? Probably the majority of us have done something kind either on a daily basis (even if we think we haven’t) or in a situation when we have just acted out of impulse?
I remember sitting in my office which had huge picture windows and seeing an elderly gentleman – who lived around the corner – stumble and fall. Both me and my colleague (both of us women) rushed out and proceeded to help him up and accompany him home. We didn’t think, we just acted, but when we returned to the office our male colleagues had just stood and watched us!
We cannot tell by just looking at someone what they are experiencing in their lives at any given moment and EmpowerMHT is a firm believer in kindness, be it a random act or a deliberate gesture that’s pre-planned for someone we know is going through some challenges.
As many of you know I am a dog lover and there is a whole community of us out there! Often our day is made by a fellow dog walker who stops to make a fuss of our four-legged friend and thereby engaging us in conversation as well: How often does that small act of acknowledgement feel special in what can be a stressful day. It only takes a few moments but the effect can last the whole day.
We all have busy lives these days, but stopping and saying “hello” to an elderly person who you know is on their own doesn’t take much, but it will make them feel special and not so alone.
Kindness isn’t always about grand gestures. A smile, a thank you or just picking up something that someone has dropped is a small act of kindness.
Often an act of kindness is done on instinct and not by design: EmpowerMHT understands how huge the effect of kindness can be on any one individual. We have probably all received an act of kindness, as well as being the ones carrying out the act itself.
Being kind doesn’t cost anything: It may only take a few seconds to make someone feel valued but its effect can last for a very long time afterwards.
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