It is said that the simplest actions can have the biggest Impact, and I am a firm believer that even the smallest act of kindness can hold more meaning than we think. For many of us, myself included, time is precious. However, finding ways to Make Impact on others doesn’t always require a life-long commitment. Check out these 4 easy actions that we can do in less than 5 minutes to Make Impact on others.
- Smile at Someone Just Because or Hold the Door for Them – It takes 43 muscles to frown but only 17 to smile, so let’s give ourselves a break and smile more. Sharing a simple smile can brighten someone’s day and give off a sense of comfort and hope. Holding the door for someone is an action often overlooked, but if we take the time to provide the simplest acts of kindness, then we are really Making Impact.
- Give Up Your Seat on Public Transportation to Someone Who Needs It – It’s easy to stay in our own bubbles while using public transportation but noticing others who need a seat more than you is a simple way to Make Impact. Imagine the effect you will have on others around you who witness this easy action. Likely, they will apply the same idea to Make Impact themselves in the future. Giving up your seat or even just offering your seat to someone else can spark a chain reaction and inspire others to break their own bubble to help someone in need.
- Listen Before Speaking – From grade school we are taught to listen and speak when called upon, illuminating patience in ourselves and respect for the person speaking. Continuing this practice as we get older may seem like a natural instinct, but as we form our own opinions, we tend to have too much to say before we can fully listen. Listening to someone before speaking is an easy action you can take that shows you truly care about what the person is saying. And in return, you are to Making Impact by putting someone else before yourself.
- Give a Favor to Someone Without Asking for Anything in Return – When was the last time you did a favor for someone without asking for anything in return? The question “what’s in it for me?” commonly seems to arise when a favor is asked of someone. I can confidently say that there is a lot in it for you. Doing favors for others allows for the brain’s pleasure and reward centers to light up and release those feel-good endorphins. This makes you feel as if you were the recipient of the good deed — not the giver. By helping others, you are truly Making Impact for not only yourself, but also for those around you.
Even the smallest actions can make the biggest Impact on someone and create a ripple effect of positivity in our communities. What other easy actions are you doing to Make an Impact on others in less than 5 minutes? Share with us in the comments below, then learn more about the science behind giving.