Nat Locke: After World Kindness Day, here’s my argument for small kind gestures every day of the year

Look, I know it’s after the fact, but last Wednesday was World Kindness Day and I hope you managed to either offer or receive an act of kindness. Still, imagine how great it would be if we performed acts of kindness on other days too? As someone who has been on crutches for the last couple of weeks — well, one crutch, to be precise — I can attest to the fact that there are a lot of very kind people out there. I’ve had people holding doors for me, carrying things for me, offering me chairs, and offering to pick up after my dog at the park. I’m thinking of milking this for as long as possible. The theme for World Kindness Day this year was “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted” which is an excellent maxim to live by, year round. Here’s the thing about acts of kindness: they don’t have to be grand gestures. I once blew a guy’s mind when I offered to take his shopping trolley back to the bay in the Woolies car park. I was going there anyway, and it’s no great effort to push two trolleys if you’re already pushing one. He had a young kid in the car. It was literally a no-brainer, but he was genuinely touched by the fact that I offered. That’s the point really. Micro opportunities for connection with a stranger help us to remember that there are good people in the world and that we aren’t always just thinking about ourselves. There’s also something in it for the person offering up the kindness. When you see the genuine appreciation spread across their face, you get a bit of a warm fuzzy feeling. And it’s free. Of course, for many reasons, you might not get the response you were expecting, but it’s worth remembering that you never know what someone else is going through. Your small act of kindness might thaw their mood when they reflect on it later. Or maybe not. Regardless, the world is a better place if we’re sending out good vibes. I once helped an elderly lady who was having difficulty reaching the milk on the top shelf in Coles. I cheerfully offered to grab it for her, and after handing it over, I immediately headbutted a perspex partition that was so clean and clear that I failed to see it. The resounding “THUNK” made the poor lady jump. It didn’t make me feel great either. I thought karma was supposed to look after you in these situations. Still, it wasn’t enough to make me stop being kind if the opportunity arises. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering how you could be kind too. Well, I’m here to offer you a few suggestions, other than picking up my dog’s poo (although if you get the chance, feel free). If you’re at the supermarket and you have a whole trolley load of groceries and there’s someone behind you who has two items, let them go before you. Mow your neighbour’s verge. Hold someone’s dog while they go inside a cafe to order coffee. Hold the door open for a mum pushing a pram. Oh, and if you see someone with great style, tell them. I once complimented a woman on her dress and she was wholeheartedly grateful. “You’ve made my day,” she said in return. I made her day by saying four words: “I love your dress.” That’s all it took. I meant it, too, by the way. Her dress was beautiful. Kindness doesn’t have to be reserved for strangers. You can even try it on your loved ones. I know I’m really pushing the envelope here, but the odd act of kindness in the humdrum banality of regular household life can really spark a tiny shred of joy. And a lot of tiny shreds of joy can add up to, well, whole moments of joy. It might also make your family suspicious, which just adds to the allure, don’t you think? Cynics might say that tiny acts of kindness aren’t going to change the horrors going on in the world at the moment, and that’s probably true. But if, even for a moment, people get a glimpse that there is good in humanity, it spreads like a ripple. Can it solve the conflict in the Middle East? Perhaps not. But in an increasingly hectic and stressful world, the tiniest of gestures can brighten someone’s day. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that? And yes, in case you’re wondering, I have turned into a Positive Polly. Or the painkillers they gave me for my injured knee have kicked in. Either way, it’s a good thing.