20 Thoughtful Ways to Encourage Others

"Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver." - Barbara de Angelis

2. Be Grateful to your Parents

Say thanks to your parents for the wonderful life they have given you and the sacrifices that they have made. Congratulate them on their parenting. Give them the attention that they deserve.

3. Show Appreciation

Surprise your spouse with surprise dinners or spontaneous romantic dates. Do a chore that she/ he is generally responsible for. Leave sticky notes around the house that says how much you love, cherish and appreciate her/ him.

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” -  Voltaire

4. Encourage

When a friend is feeling down and beaten, encourage her/ him to shake off the dust and get back into the game. Listen to their problems and remind her/ him of the positives of life.

5. Respect Everyone

Show your appreciation to everyone who provides you with any sort of service- be it the clerk at the store, your building’s security guard or the cabbie who drove you to the office. A mere thank you can bring a positive note in someone else’s otherwise depressing, sad life.

“Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.” -  Dennis Prager

6. Respect People Irrespective of Their Age

When speaking to a young person, never be dismissive or disrespectful. Welcome their opinion freely. Help them to fine tune their thoughts. They are the seeds of tomorrow. Open conversations will teach them to think positively and grow into wonderful human beings.

"A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees." - Amelia Earhart

7. Look out for your colleagues at your workplace

Defend them when they are right. Appreciate and compliment their efforts and bring their work into the limelight whenever they deserve it.

8. An Act of Service can Take you a Long Way

Look around in your community and help out as much as you can, whenever you can. Help the elderly gentleman when he is tending to his garden. Help the old lady to cross the road. Help the pregnant lady with her grocery bags.

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." -Princess Diana

9. Be Kind to Strangers

Drop flowers at the local old age home or balloons at the children’s nursing home. A smile from a person who needs it the most will brighten your day.

10. Bake and share

Sharing strengthens your bond and brings a smile on the recipient’s face.

11. Random Gifts

Gift someone who is just starting her/ his career books that might help them. They may be motivational or related to their field of work.

12. Send short, encouraging notes via social media

It might be just a little push that is required to turn someone good into someone brilliant.

13. Gift people small tokens of appreciation

You can buy gifts from any shop. Even better, make something. It would mean a lot more if you create the gift yourself. Self-made gifts show the recipient that you have taken out time and put thought into creating something from them. This small act can earn you their appreciation and blessing in return.

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” -  Lao Tzu

14. Hug someone

It can be someone who is feeling discouraged, heart-broken and depressed. Lighten their mood by telling a joke or taking them out for coffee.

15. Offer to do Small Tasks

Offer to baby-sit for your over-worked neighbours. Tutor your maid’s kids. Small helps in everyone’s lives can make a big difference.

16. Send Encouraging Cards

It's better if they're hand-made, send them secretly to your family, friends, colleague or an unknown person who you feel is sad. A ray of sunshine may be all they need to get out of their dark thoughts.

17. Say Thanks Freely

This does not say you are a pushover or a person who likes to butter everyone. It does not bring down your status. It takes nothing to utter these two words. But they might help someone to be inspired to do better in their lives.

"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." -Scott Adams

18. Write a Letter

In this era of emails, WhatsApp and Facebook, a letter is a novel way of making someone feel that someone is thinking of them. That someone appreciates their work and that they are needed and cherished. Imagine yourself finding a letter ( may be anonymous) with positive things written about you. It helps to build someone’s self-confidence.

19. Listen

Be attentive. When trying to help someone, the most important thing that you need to do is listen. Many a time, just sharing your problems with someone helps you to clear your head and focus on overcoming them. So, lend your ear to the ones in need. If nothing, that person will feel that there is at least someone who is there by her/ his side.

20. Smile

As the famous song in the movie, Annie goes, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Seeing a smiling face always creates a positive mark in the recipient’s mind and thus, makes people look at the world in a brand new light and inspires them to do stuff that results in them smiling.

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.”- William Arthur Ward