How making something out of nothing can be a good thing.

Let’s be frank; life can sometimes feel like a bit of a grind. And this is one reason why I generally advocate deriving as much pleasure and joy from the present moment as much as possible. One way to do this is to reflect on things to be grateful for and appreciate. Here, the focus is generally on things that exist in our present or that we are reflecting on in our past. But, is there a way of actually conjuring into reality things that promote ‘good vibes’ and contentment?

My experience is that a quick route to better feelings in the moment is through ‘random acts of kindness’. Whatever the act is, big or small, it usually fosters a good feeling inside of both the ‘giver’ and ‘receiver’. But the effects may ripple out further because others who witness the act may ‘benefit’ from it, too. Some people like to see others do nice things for others, after all.

An anecdote: Many years ago, I was changing tube lines in London. I was walking up some steps separated in the middle by a railing. I, and plenty of others, were walking up on the right-hand side. It was busy and slow-going. The left-hand side of the stairs (for people coming down) was pretty much empty.

Up in front of me, I noticed a young man vaulting the railing in the middle of the stairway. Once over the railing, he began running up the stairs. At first, I thought he was just trying to bypass the queue. Actually, he was on his way to help a woman who was near the top of the stairway and was attempting to negotiate a buggy (and toddler) down the stairs. He lifted the front of the buggy, allowing the woman to make her way down the stairwell much more easily and safely.

While this man may have inconvenienced himself by a minute or so, it seems likely that the woman he helped was hugely grateful for his assistance. Her day was, I suspect, enriched by the experience. Maybe his was too. Mine certainly was. And perhaps the same is true for many others who witnessed this act of thoughtfulness.

Random acts of kindness can come in lots of different forms, but here are some ideas to get you going:

• Give up your seat on the train to someone who appears more in need than you.

• Hold a door open for someone, even though you may need to wait a few seconds for them to ‘catch up’.

• Offer a colleague some positive feedback on their character, personality or performance.

• Smile at a stranger or someone you do not know that well.

• If you experience good service, tell the person and perhaps ask who you can make aware of your experience (e.g. their employer or manager).

• Send a text or other message to a friend or loved one when they pop into your head, just to let them know you were thinking of them.

• Let someone with just a few items go ahead of you in the supermarket queue.

WHAT WORKS

I think setting an intention at the start of the day to offer one or more random acts of kindness is a good way to bring some joy to our lives and the lives of others, too.

But I think they have particular relevance in this day and age.

I get the impression that the widespread use of mobile phones has caused something of a disconnect between people. I think random acts of kindness are a good way to buck this trend and help foster human connection, too.