“No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.” ~ Amelia Earhart

Day 5 of #LiveWell2017

Recently I took a freshly-baked batch of muffins to the new office of one of my favorite nonprofit organizations. The staff had to move the entire organization’s operations and offices from its former locations into a new rental space with very little notice and during the holidays. I wanted to welcome them to their new space and offer a treat that would make them feel appreciated for all their hard work.

When they bit into the muffins, I heard “mmmm” and saw smiles. They seemed delighted. It was nearly lunch time, and they’d been working hard all morning. People were hungry. This simple act of kindness brought a little joy to their day and made me feel good that I could help make their day a little brighter in some small way.

The next day, when I returned to volunteer for a couple of hours, one staff member told me that when the Executive Director left the building the day before, she noticed a homeless woman across the street from their new office, huddled in the freezing cold and wind. She walked over to the woman and gave her two of the muffins.

It was a small gesture, but an important one. A simple act of kindness.  A ripple effect. No action is ever without consequences. In the best of worlds, every act of kindness will generate another act of kindness, like ripples on a pond when a rock is thrown into the center. Kindness can begin with one small act and multiply into many. With each act, the world becomes kinder.

Eric Hoffer once wrote, “We are made kind by being kind.” I want to be kind every day.

How were you kind today? Was someone kind to you? Did you pass it along?

No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop