Are you uplifting?

How often do you brighten someone’s day?

Daily? Rarely? Every chance you get? And who? A stranger? Family member? Friend?

During every public interaction we participate in, we have the opportunity (and the choice) to make someone’s day better. Yes, that's pretty awesome.

This time of year tends to make friends out of strangers and good deeds a daily occurrence, which may be why so many people L O V E Christmas time - but what if this behavior continued all year long?

It could be as simple as acknowledgment of an interaction, gratitude for a good deed, a smile, a held-open door, a personal compliment. No matter how simple or how involved the act, the best thing about it - it is absolutely free.

We don’t have to spend money on gifts, flowers, cards, surprises - the best present we can give to those around us is care. True, genuine, unfettered, uninterrupted, loving - C A R E.

And we can choose to give that present on a regular basis - actually, whenever we feel like it. Again, so neat.

There are no restrictions (well other than not being creepy or awkward to strangers), no limitations (we can literally open doors or give random compliments as often as we’d like!), and no rules to follow.

The other amazing thing about this practice of giving care freely - practice makes perfect. We get better at these acts of care the more we perform them.

So what’s stopping you? Scared your act won’t be received well? Worried you won’t be appreciated for it? The truth is, you may not. Do it anyways.

You may hold the door open for five people before someone realizes and/or says thank you - but the man across the street who saw your action and felt inspired to do the same at the building he was walking into makes it all worth it. And you never know what those five people you cared for may be going through.

Bestowing upon them a completely selfless act may be just the sign they were looking for to show them that humanity or this world does in fact care about them.

Let’s all do more. And we can start with the easy stuff. Like care. And joy. And love.

Sprinkle your acts of kindness everywhere and watch them G R O W.