“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and the most underrated agent of human change.”

Bob Kerrey

When was the last time you surprised someone with something that was least expected from you? Let’s try to make a list before we go ahead with a head start.

A simple smile
a simple piece of bread.
lift on the way to the office.
Pay for the colleague’s lunch or tea without letting them know.
Bring some chocolates to the office randomly. (I do it for my students.)
Help someone.
Counsel someone.
 

What makes it great is when these random acts come back to you when you least expect them. It brightens your day when someone unexpectedly approaches you and wishes you a warm good morning.On my way to work, it’s a habit of mine to offer a ride to anyone I see waiting for the bus.The best part is getting warm morning greetings from whoever is there, whether it’s the security guard at the gate, someone parking, or someone on their way to the cabin.the janitor cleaning the pathway or the gardener cleaning the garden.

What makes it unique is that if you are not paying attention or are preoccupied with your thoughts, they will call you from behind and wish you with the same warmth.This is what makes your day. Life has not been the same since Dad left us all in July 2020. But one thing that stuck with us were the stories of his random acts of kindness that we heard from the people who came to visit us after his death.This was not easy as the acts were not small at all; they were something huge that needed courage to perform, and this changed the way we all knew him.

The acts of kindness were not limited to the office but to the people he just knew on the pathways, during his morning walk routines or on his way home or to the office. But what was heartwarming was the way those people remembered his actions and acknowledged them behind his back.

To conclude, it reminded me of a quote that he always lived by: “NNeki kar dariya mai dal.”

I aspire to be one-tenth of what he was.