“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” –Aesop

How many times have you passed someone, said hello or waved, and not received a simple hello or greeting in return? You begin to wonder why that person didn’t acknowledge you. Is it because they don’t like you? Did you do something to them to receive such hostility? Most times, the answer to these questions is “no.”

So why don’t we wave to our friends while we’re in the hallways, at the grocery store, or even walking down the sidewalk?

Is it because we’re afraid of what others will think of us? Will they see us waving to a person who is considered “unpopular” and think less of us? It seems in today’s society that the less we are kind and friendly to others, the cooler and better liked we become.

I don’t know about you, but I see something terribly wrong with this.

We should not be ashamed to help others, to give them an uplifting word and a helping hand. We need to reach out, regardless of what someone may think. Give that person an uplifting smile, say hi to that boy who looks lonely, or volunteer at a local fundraiser.

Kindness can be given in so many ways. It doesn’t just have to be through a wave in the hallway at school. It can be telling someone what a great job they are doing at work, or even helping someone out who is struggling in a class. You never know; your act may make a difference in their life.

It may seem like a small feat to you, but to someone else, you may just be the light in his or her day. We don’t know people’s histories, their backgrounds. We only know what we see and hear. You could make their day a whole lot better.

Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Kindness can be cool. Think about it: Who wants to be friends with someone who is cold and unfriendly, someone who never gives a reassuring smile or a friendly reminder? As a generation, we have become so accustomed to ignoring people we know in public because we’re afraid what they will think of us if we do say hello. We think it’s so much easier to just keep walking than to stop and let that person know that you see them and to acknowledge their presence. But in reality, it’s not.

We need to make it our goal to perform a small act of kindness every day. Kindness should be something that we give to others without even thinking about it or wanting anything n return. If we give others love and support, we will find that we will receive love and support back. It’s really not that hard to do.

I think that if we all begin to give others a smile or a simple wave hello, we’ll make our community, let alone our world, a much better place.

Forget about being popular. If you feel that you have to censor who you associate with to feel admired, then you’re with the wrong group of people.

I challenge each and every one of you to perform an act of kindness today. Maybe it will be small, but it may start a chain reaction! You never know.

Make someone else’s day better, and I promise you that you will make your day a whole lot better too.

Let’s make kindness cool.