Be a Rainbow In Someone Else’s Cloud.
~ Maya Angelou
It takes so little to brighten someone else’s day.
Yet it can leave them feeling happy for a moment, an hour, a day, or give them a sweet memory for life.
And it makes you feel pretty awesome, too.
Here are some ideas for being your own little rainbow:
- Ring the supervisor of the salesperson who gave you great service
- Compliment the barista who made your yummy coffee
- Take the trouble to notice something your spouse did for you – and thank them for it
- Ask that friend who was uncharacteristically quiet if everything is ok
- Tell someone you care about that you think they’re swell 😉
- Smile at the people in your office, gym, or other regular haunt
- Send a note to a sick friend
- Buy a cupcake for a sad friend
- Offer to help a stressed or struggling friend (in a way that feels comfortable, not a way that makes you stressed)
- Forgive or stop holding a grudge against someone who hurt you.
What other ideas do you have?
Please share them!
I love to send handwritten thank you notes to people. My family, friends, co-workers, my church, or my volunteer group. I don’t wait until they do anything special or do anything for me. I just want them to know that I am thankful to have them in my life. Recently, I salesperson was helping my 82yr mother with her medicines at the pharmacy. About a week later, I dropped off a handwritten note for the sales person with a small box of candy but didn’t leave my name. During our next visit, she was telling us about someone leaving her note and that nothing like that ever happens to her. She was overjoyed & it made her day.
Great idea Katrina. Handwritten notes are so personal and rare these days that I think they really are appreciated.
During Easter one year, I surprised a friend who had just purchased a new home. I bought a sapling tree (one I know she liked) and placed it on her door step with a note that just said “E bunney Esquire”. As it ended up, she did the same thing to who she thought had done it. In the end we figured out that about 20 people got E Bunny Esquired that year. You can do the same by leaving a small sticky with just a smiley face and putting it on a workers desk that you work with. It’s really fun when you put in on someone’s desk you don’t know. Spreads happy rumors around the office. You of course have to do it so that you are not discovered.
What a lovely idea Deirdre!
When the temperatures get really high during the summer, I put an ice cold bottle of water in my mailbox with a sticky attached that just says “Thanks”.
Wow that’s super-thoughtful!
There is one that I often use but never thought of it as being a little rainbow. The Maintenance Manager in my housing complex is kept busy the whole day and often leaves only after 8 pm – a daily 2 hour overtime. If I meet him post lunch, simply asking if he has had lunch brings a smile to his face – like thank you for caring!
I bet that’s exactly what he thinks when you ask that question, Vatsala. 🙂