Reflection: A recent conversation amongst friends led to an exchange of stories about odd behaviours. Of course, those would be odd behaviours exhibited by others, because nothing we ever do is odd at all!

The most unusual contribution to the conversation was the story of a condo neighbor who grows a bit more confused each day and exhibits some of the early signs of dementia. She has taken to propping her front door open, and positioning herself in a chair where she can see all the foot traffic in the hall.

As people come and go throughout the day, she waves and greets them like long lost friends each time they pass by. Most of us agreed that would be an annoying neighborly behavior to have to deal with every day.

However, the friend who shared the story – who lives down the hall from the woman with the open door policy – simply smiled and remarked, “Kindness costs us nothing.”

Action: What a beautiful phrase that is: “Kindness costs us nothing.”

We all encounter curious behaviours in others that trigger feelings of irritation, annoyance or frustration. What if we chose to respond differently? With kindness instead of impatience or anger or exasperation?

It truly costs us nothing to share a warm smile and a word of greeting with someone who is lost or lonely.

It costs us nothing to share a compliment or express our appreciation to others who are clearly not feeling that great about themselves or their world.

And, it costs us nothing to welcome others into our circle of conversation or invite them to join us in everyday activities that might give a lift to their lives.

Why not put yourself on high alert for opportunities to be a more compassionate presence in the lives of others? And know that while meanness aggravates, kindness elevates.

Quotes Of The Week: Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. – Mother Teresa

Meanness aggravates – kindness elevates. – Patricia Katz

Resources Of The Week: The research has plenty to say about the positive impact of acts of kindness. This article links you to research studies showing the positive impact of kindness on happiness, success, stress, energy, and satisfaction.

Here’s a list to inspire kind-hearted actions: Thirty Five Acts Of Kindness.

You might also enjoy this inspiring read: Twenty-One Acts Of Kindness That Changed Lives.

Editor’s Note: Special thanks to so many of you who replied to the last Pause message about recent challenges in my world. Your thoughtful comments warmed my heart.

Secondly, a special welcome to all the new subscribers who joined the Pause ezine group after my presentation last week at the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta. Such a caring group of people! Thanks for including me on your program.