Day #119 in A Year of Positivity

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”—Clare Pooley

As I woke this morning, my mind took me back to a memory of me and my grand-uncle Donald, who was my Grams’ brother, though I just simply called him Uncle Donny. He’d passed away a few days before my birthday in 2012, though he knew how to leave his mark on people. He was the sweetest, most affectionate old fella with a tender heart he consistently wore on his sleeve for everyone he knew or met in passing, and he’d do it every day with that big ol’ infectious smile of his. He could sit down with a stranger and speak to them for hours on the most random topics, and those strangers would soak up his wisdom and childlike joy with a smile plastered on their own faces every single time. I miss him dearly and favorably hold all my memories with him close to my heart.

The one memory that came to my mind in bed this morning was our discussion about what he joyously called the Cascade Effect. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the Cascade Effect as a situation when an action, event, or decision influences a few people or things, which then affects more people or things until many more people or things are impacted. Uncle Donny loved to use the analogy of people being waterfalls with a life that flows endlessly in a river that affects the next person (or waterfall) downriver. He explained how we influence everyone we meet, even through a random, fleeting moment. These small moments could be with a stranger in an elevator or a retail clerk from which we buy something at a convenience store. The tenderness and kindness Uncle Donny showed everyone was his way of bringing a ray of sunshine and positivity to the world.

Being kind is a unique and refreshing manifestation of positivity. It costs nothing but a touch from the heart, and there are so many intricate layers of kindness. The options for showing kindness to not only yourself but others are limitless. It’s an attitude, an action, and a beautiful opportunity that brightens the day of the person receiving it, and the giver will also feel better. Most of the time, we’ll never know if the moments of kindness we intentionally make can make a tremendous difference. We don’t know the battles and struggles everyone else has in their lives, and a simple touch from the heart of a stranger in the form of kindness can do so much good.

So, how will you be leaving your mark on the people around you today?