Being a Nice Person

On the Kind Spring website is a list of Lessons Learned from a Friend:

 

1.   Give money you can spare to someone who needs it and then pretend you never had it.

2.   Let someone tell a story without feeling the need to one-up them or tell your own.

3.   Let someone vent, even if you can’t offer a solution, just to be an ear—without considering how well they listened to you last week.

4.   Help someone who is struggling with difficult feelings by admitting you’ve felt the same thing—without considering whether they’d be as open with you.

5.   Ask, “What can I do to help you today?” Then let it go after following through.

6.   Tell someone how you feel about them, even if it makes you feel vulnerable, just to let them know they’re loved and not alone.

7.   Apologize when you’ve acted selfishly, even if you don’t like feeling wrong, because it will remind the other person they deserve to be treated with respect.

8.   Let someone else educate you, even if you’re tempted to stay closed minded, because you value their knowledge and appreciate their willingness to share it.

9.   Forgive someone who wronged you because you have compassion for them, not because you know they’ll owe you.

10.    Hold someone’s hand when they feel vulnerable to let them know you haven’t judged them.

One “Kindness Idea” on Kind Spring was to visit the Cheer Me Up website and write an inspiring anonymous comment to someone who needs a boost. One person wrote, “No one ever invites me to do anything.”

Today’s gift was to write this note of encouragement, “Well, take matters into your own hands and just invite yourself on a date with you! Choose a fun theme like The Great Gatsby and call people to join your date night. Have everyone dress as if they are going to a 1920's party. Go out for ice cream. Sometimes asking others to do something with you will motivate them to ask you in the future. It will be fun for you and them.” After I submitted my comment the response on my computer screen was: “You are a nice person.” That made me smile.

In Giving,

Robin