Well this is a first. I know I post mostly stories written by others, but this is the first official "Guest Post" for Operation NICE! I was contacted by Lia Fagan, who had a post idea, and she was kind enough to write about a project (of which she is not affiliated) that she found to be incredibly nice. Drumroll please!
Have you heard of People For Good?
It’s a Canadian based website, but their message is universal. Their goal is to inspire people to make the world a better place, one good deed at a time.
On their site you’ll find a list of simple, good deeds that you can do today to make someone else’s day a little bit brighter.
You’ll also find a bunch of videos from good do-ers who share their experiences of good deeds and the “high” that can be enjoyed from doing something nice for others.
This got me thinking about some of the good deeds my guy & I have done in the past.
The most memorable was a few years ago during the holidays. My guy & I were living in an apartment building and every Christmas the building sponsored a less fortunate family.
The superintendant would post a list of everything the family needed in order to give their kids a good Christmas and the tenants of the building would donate those items to the family.
It was just a few days before Christmas when the building posted a new notice saying that many of the items on the list had still not been donated.
Unknown to me, my guy had read that posting first thing in the morning on his way to work. It just so happened that it was the same day that he was given his Christmas bonus cheque.
That night after work he went out and spent his entire Christmas bonus buying all of the remaining items on the list.
When he came home and told me what he’d done, I felt so lucky & proud to be with someone so thoughtful and generous.
I still get a little teary when I think about it, so I can only imagine how that family felt on Christmas morning.
In the 9 years we’ve been together, he’s taught me to be a better person. He’s taught me that it doesn’t always take a grand gesture to make a big difference. The good deeds that take only a small investment of time, effort or money can make a big difference to someone else.
- When you’re in the drive through buying your morning coffee, pay for the person’s order behind you in line. It’ll be such a nice surprise for them and they may even pay it forward.
- Next time you’re at a book store and you see an author sitting at a table for a book signing, only no one seems to care, take a few minutes to talk to them about their book. It’ll make their day!
- Compliment your Barista/Bank Teller/Etc. when they try something new with their hair or wardrobe. It takes guts to step outside your “style” box. Encourage them and help build their confidence with complement.
As if brightening someone else’s day and the high you’ll receive from doing so weren’t enough, there’s always the karma incentive.
Think of karma as a piggy bank. Every time you do something nice for someone else, you fill up your karma bank. Every once in a while, something good will happen to you. Think of this as the universe making a withdrawal. Go out of your way to fill it back up again.
While we won’t always have overflowing bank accounts, we can always aim to have overflowing karma banks.
And, don’t forget… Courtesy is contagious!
What’s your favorite good deed? Tell me in the comments!
Lia Fagan is the designer behind Mod Pieces, the blogger behind Mod Nest & a contributor at Scoutie Girl.
I have three children three years of age and under. Life can get a little harried at times, especially when I am out and about with the kids.
