A random act of kindness makes a difference

William Wordsworth once wrote that "the best portion of a good man's life" is forged not in the performance of great public works but rather in the "little, unremembered acts of kindness and love" that are usually so easily overlooked and so readily forgotten.

Did you know that a single small act of kindness can have a ripple effect and create dozens more? The goal at United Way of Southeast Missouri is, and always has been, to build a safe, healthy and proactively caring community where everyone thrives in each stage of life. They work year round to provide hand-ups and to unite people with resources that they may not otherwise have access to.

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day, and the United Way wants you to get involved with the movement by stepping out of your comfort zone to perform an act of kindness that cheers up an individual or a group. Random acts of kindness do not have to be great or grand to have a positive effect on others. Little acts, like reading to a child, participating in a blood drive, donating to a food bank or smiling and holding the door open for someone can make an immediate difference and inspire others to perform their own acts of kindness.

Study after study, including a number of scientific ones, have proved that even small acts of random kindness and compassion are not only great for recipients but for givers as well. Some facts to consider:

• Performing acts of kindness has been linked to improvements in physical health, such as lowering blood pressure.
• Random acts of kindness can also contribute to better mental health by helping increase energy and reducing depression and anxiety.
• Doing nice things for others has been linked to an increase in relationship satisfaction. People who are kind and compassionate often feel more successful.
• The most powerful way to increase your short-term feelings of happiness is to perform random acts of kindness to others.
• Those who spend money on others report much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves.

If you enjoy giving as much as United Way does, be sure to also mark your calendars for Nov. 13, World Kindness Day. Make every day a Radom Acts of Kindness Day. You and your world will be better for it.

Nicholle Hinkle is director of donor relations for the United Way of Southeast Missouri. Kristy Embry is the director of education initiatives for the United Way of Southeast Missouri.