5 ways to make a difference in a stranger’s day
Published in Humanity & Good Will at November 7th, 2007 (0)
With life being as busy and fast-paced as it is, it is easy to forget about those around us. Here are five ways to make a difference in a stranger’s day, whether it be your post man, the waitress or waiter who served you, a local volunteer for a homeless shelter, a customer service personnel, a neighbor, or someone else.
In most cases, none of these take more than a couple seconds or minutes out of your day, so no matter how busy you are, everyone can (and should!) do it.
#1 - Show your appreciation for the little things.
People do nice things for us every day, and yet it often goes unnoticed by us. Identify the little things that people do for you (excellent customer service, holding the door open for you, taking an interest in your day, etc.) and take time out of your busy day to say thank you. Everyone appreciates being appreciated.
#2 - Treat everyone with respect.
This one should be a given, and yet it never ceases to amaze me how often lacking it is in today’s society. Some may say, “but you need to work to gain my respect” and that’s fine, but realize that there is a difference between respecting someone and treating them with respect: You don’t need to be in awe of the person and what they’ve done or do (which is often the case with people we respect), but rather, treating someone with respect is matter of common courtesy.
