Being kind is a valuable lesson to remember.  Read here for true stories and reasons on how kindness affects our lives, and can make each day better.

Human nature: it has its faults.  We are intelligent, creative, exceptional beings, yet still capable of ignorant and selfish acts.  We create dreams and make mistakes; see our moral compass, and still stray.  Face it: there is no escaping our humanity.  We disappoint each other every now and then, but things happen.  We go from there, acting on what we have learned, and the lessons that help us become better people.

But here is a lesson we all know by heart – something praised since our early Kindergarten days – be kind.  There is something to be seen from kindness: the effects it has not only for others, but for you, as well.  It has been shown to make us happier, healthier, slows our aging (for those with Peter Pan syndrome), among many other benefits.  Kindness:

• Improves your immune system
• Lowers rates of depression
• Improves relationships with others
• Creates a sense of community
• Improves trust
• Beneficial emotionally

A few weeks ago, the country celebrated National Random Act of Kindness Day.  People around the world were inspired to put others first as they went through their daily routine: donate; get involved; be aware of others; step away from yourself.  If there is something you will never regret, it is being kind.

I was moved by the endless stories of how one act of kindness could change someone’s life. At a high school after hours, a student was able to give another girl hope, knowing that she was not alone.  While the girl was planning her own suicide, this student stopped to take the time to talk to this crying stranger, and be the kindness needed to change her mind.

John M. Sweeny is the founder and Chief Kindness Officer of a worldwide social movement called Suspended Coffees. Sweeny believes that small acts of kindness are more than just that.  He has connected people all over the world by encouraging them to make simple acts of kindness, such as buying a cup of coffee for a stranger.  His movement has spread to cafes across the country, showing that this small act is more than just coffee.

Whether it is buying someone a cup of Joe, or stopping someone from giving up, we all could use a little kindness.  When we step out of our own way to be nice to someone else, the chain of events is inevitable.  When someone is having a crappy day, the smallest compliment or “how are you” can be all it takes to help them smile.

So let’s take a step back – get away from your problems and stress, and look at the world from a different perspective.  Take a moment to concentrate on someone else or your community.  The smallest acts of kindness can be more important than you know.  We all struggle with finding our great purpose in life, but it does not need to be so extravagant.  At the end of the day, it is what we did, who we helped, and how we showed it.  You never how much of a difference one act can have, the impact we can all create.

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” (Mark Twain)