[Highlander]

I know there are people out there who are unhappy. For whatever reasons, and you have them, to be sure you are unhappy. I have a suggestion for you:
Go do something nice for someone who cannot do anything for you. Do not tell anyone what you have done, do not let anyone see you do it. It does not have to cost any money and does not require a lot of time.
It won’t fix whatever you’re facing that is making you unhappy, it won’t put any money in your pocket. If you understand this going into it you won’t be disappointed.
Don’t do it as a Christian thing, don’t do it as a holiday thing, and don’t do it as a pay-it forward thing. Do it as a human thing.
Once you have done this thing, take a few minutes to consider what you have done and how it may have impacted someone you will probably never see again. I would be willing to bet that just for a moment you are not burdened by your feelings of unhappiness and that will be worth the effort.
If it has the desired effect, do it again…..and again.
I will start a list of things you can do, please add to it and re-post:

1. Find a mother in a public place with her children and tell her in the presence of her kids what a lovely family they make.

 

[Brosia]

what a nice thought.


I just helped out a frazzled mom in the store, 2 small toddlers and a wailing baby.... I made funny faces and pretty much made a fool of myself (if you can judge by the nasty looks of the others in the line), but it kept those kids entertained and allowed Mom to finish up her transaction.

 

[Booker]

I just robbed a 7 Eleven and didn't shoot the clerk!:

Just Kidding!

I gave a watch cap and some gloves to a dude at the bus station.

 

[Becka]

Once in a while if I'm in a drive-thru, I'll pay for the person behind me. It's so funny to glance in the rear view mirror and catch their shocked expressions.

Also, if you see a bell ringer standing out in the cold, offer to buy them some hot coffee and bring it to them.

 

[Ford Prefect]

1. Find a mother in a public place with her children and tell her in the presence of her kids what a lovely family they make.

Here in the Northeast, random kindness is frowned upon.

Ok, I was playing a gig in New York City one winter at "Manny's Car Wash" and a homeless guy offered to help carry my equipment to my car.. I noticed he was cold and told him he didn't have to help me and I gave him my gloves.. A VERY nice pair of gloves I was fond of.. I still feel good knowing the dude had warm hands that winter.. Well, until he traded them for a handjob and some crack, anyway.

 

[Highlander]

A couple of years back, I left a $100 tip for a $27.00 meal.

 

[Guerrilla]

This is excellent advice. You initial suggestion though is way too easy for me. I'm a sucker for families with kids, as I'm gearing up to do it myself soon. Last week I think I offended one woman because she thought I was hitting on her by telling her how great her kids were.

I have handed out my number to all my neighbors offering to pick them up at the old ranch gate if they can't make it up the road during the snowstorm.

 

[TBULL55]

Every year the wife and I try to help someone who is in need of a little help! Unfortunately layoffs run rampid in our area so it seems that someone we know has been layed off or is just in a bad way some how. We usually pick up a gift card from a grocery store or Wal-mart if it is around christmas and they have children and then under the cloak of darkness in the wee hours of the morning we drive by and leave it at their house with no mention as to who it came from. We know it helps and do not want or expect anything for it. We know a friend of mine who got layed off not long ago then his wife came into work to find her boss (a dentist) had committed suicide in the office with a pistol, needless to say they are now both out of a job. The gift card bandit will strike soon. Also we pick 3 or 4 names of children from a list at work and buy them christmas. As you say highlander, it makes you feel good to randomlly do good things for people who don't expect it and have know idea where it came from!

Tbull

 

[DaggerD]

Nice post. I try to do this but it is always good to have a reminder.

Up here in the Mountains, shoveling someones car out before they wake up would be perfect.

 

[danpauselius]

I often find myself repairing someone's car because they can't afford to take it to the shop. Met a guy who had no money and his Nissan Sentra cooked the head gasket. I ended up doing the whole thing for him for free (he bought the parts). Makes me laugh sometimes knowing that he's now a producer for Discovery Channel. Glad to see he got through the tough times.

 

[malcontent]

highlander, great thread. and good for all those of you have replied.
if everyone would do these things more often this world would be a much better place.

but here's one time i tried and what happened.

i used to work in a building that was in a low income neighborhood. over the course of a few years I'd drive past the same homeless looking guy every now and then. I'd always wonder about his life and such and think if there was a tactfull/polite way to give him some money.

well the company i worked for went out of business. on my last day of work (after 14 yrs) who do i see up ahead sitting on the curb? i drove up beside him and gestured for him to come over to me. pulled out a twenty and reached out to give it to him. he looked at me, looked at the twenty, shook his head 'no' and walked away.

i realize i was probably insulting him, by offering him money, but i really didn't mean it that way. i still wonder where that guy is..