There’s a commercial that I really enjoy watching. The one advertised by Liberty Mutual. It shows people being nice to each other. Each person going about their day, sees one person doing something nice for someone and they like that and in turn do something nice for someone else.
It’s like when someone does something for you, especially if they don’t know you. They ask you to ‘pay it forward’ doing something for someone else in need when the opportunity presents itself.
It doesn’t take much to be nice to someone. Even a smile can brighten someone’s day. A little wave of the hand with a bright smile cheers up a child. Letting someone out of the parking space or the side road; helping someone cross the street (ask first because it might not be needed) and even if the person didn’t need it, at least you offered.
These little things we do to help someone else, stranger or friend, even better if it’s a stranger, will really make you feel good.
I try to do something nice everyday. The opportunity usually presents itself, and I usually grab it. Not because I’m such a nice person (although I am) but why shouldn’t I be nice?
I drive a lot during the day, dropping my hubby off, taking my youngest daughter to the preschool daycare, picking up my oldest daughter and neighbor’s child from school (we car pool) and also on the weekend I’m running back and forth doing errands and carting children around.
When I’m driving if I see someone who needs to come out of a tight spot or trying to get into the main traffic area, I slow down and I let them through. I wait patiently and let them do what they’re doing in order to complete their maneuvers carefully. I never do this if I’m going to put the other driver behind me in danger though. I too have to maneuver myself in a safe manner. Sometimes the person behind me is impatient and blows their horn, but I usually just ignore them. Most times they rush by and we ‘meet’ up at the traffic light!
I will also let someone who has less grocery than I do get ahead of me in line. Once I let three people through before me. I was not in a hurry, they had two or three items and I had a family sized grocery basket.
Saying hello to the greeter at the supermarket, or the teller at the bank before you begin your transaction. Or the representative at the other end of the telephone line, taking a moment to ask how their day is going, is not just being polite, it’s letting them know that you know they are human too. They might just go out of their way to give you what you want.
We’re all so busy rushing around, it’s good to sometimes slow down and take a moment to enjoy the experience of being outside, of meeting a friend, enjoying lunch; whatever it is you are out there doing, just take a moment to enjoy it and not rush through it.
Of course there are people out there who are forever grumpy and really like taking out their bad day, experience or life on someone else. But don’t let that get to you and of course give as good as you get. Hey, it’s only fair. However in giving back, don’t be mean, let this person know that it’s not acceptable how they’re behaving and ask to deal with someone else, and then complain, that’s what I do.
We’re all in such a hurry all the time, slow down, and take time to smell the roses, and even better, take the time to pay it forward.