I used the a prompt from a blog that provides daily prompts for bloggers. Here is the prompt that I chose to write about:

When was the last time a stranger did something particularly kind, generous, or selfless for you? Tell us what happened!

Although it is certainly cliché, I believe that a simple act of kindness can go a very long way. Imagine one of those days that the universe just seems to be against you,  and nothing seems to be going your way. Now think about what would happen if a stranger held the door for you, payed you a compliment, or even payed for your drink at a coffee shop on one of those days. Recently, I experienced a particularly hectic day in which I forgot to set my alarm and had to rush to get ready for school, and was subsequently bombarded by a series of tests. With a particularly poor start to the day, it was difficult to keep a positive mindset. However, I experienced a real kindness from a total stranger who had picked up my phone which I had left on my desk. They easily could have taken it, but instead they returned it to me and I was really grateful for that. That event got me thinking about the ways that I could try to brighten other people’s days. To me, one of the best qualities a person can possess is selflessness, and yet another cliché that comes to mind is to treat others the way that you would want to be treated. One of my goals for this year is to be a kinder person in general, and I think that keeping in mind how I would want to be treated is a great way to initiate random acts of kindness.

It is important to remember that you don’t really know what a person is going through just by looking at them on the outside. Maybe they are having a particularly bad day, and I want to be the kind of person that makes there day just a bit better.