As I go about my daily life, what small kindnesses can I offer to others?

I find myself thinking that kindness is never small. “Just” a smile might transform someone’s day. I can do things that aren’t a big lift and that don’t require elaborate plans and they can make all the difference for someone in that moment. I hold kindness as one of my core values and attributes thanks to my mom. She was always kind and taught us to think of others and to understand that we don’t know their stories and need to leave room for grace. I try to practice that always. I reread the emails I write for work before sending and think about how I would feel being on the receiving end and what assumptions I might be able to eliminate from my words to leave that room for another way of viewing the world.

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” -Dalai Lama