It’s the little things. And they’re easier than we think.

I can’t begin to count the days where I feel like I’ve got too much going on in my own life to think about helping somebody else out. Throw in a full time job, a couple of kids and a husband (all that I love dearly!), and I’m over the edge some days. Caring capacity reached.

But I’m working on this.

Because I'm convinced that it doesn’t take much to do one small thing that makes a huge difference for someone else, the environment or just to help. It can be SO simple. Here’s a few ideas that I came up with to get us started but I want to hear yours too.

• A smile and hello to a stranger

• Holding the door open for someone else to go through first (remember when this was just common courtesy?)

• A warm, sincere greeting for co-workers, teachers or whoever you regularly see each day

• A hand-written note sent to a friend or loved one (remember mail? You probably have a box somewhere outside your house to receive this stuff.)

• A phone call to your mom (or dad or ??)

• A text message to a friend who’s too busy to chat on the phone

• Give someone a genuine compliment (key word: genuine)

 If we all made one other person feel good today, would we feel good too?

Share with us what you do to squeeze this into your day today in the comments section. Really. We want to hear from you.

Comments

[Maria @BOREDmommy]

I like to bake cookies, cupcakes or little cakes with the kids. We always make extra and the kids love to decorate them. We then share with our three beloved neighbours, and when they are all done the kids deliver their packages of goodies to them. They feel so special being able to deliver them on their own, and the neighbours enjoy eating them! Just little things like that to let them know that we appreciate them.

[Kellie]

I've played with babies in the checkout line while mommy attempts to unload the cart, my teenagers have joined in the fun and it has helped relieve some tension for moms shopping alone with an irritable little one, we have actually been thanked for making faces and being silly in public. ;-)