Monthly Habit #3: Bless

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

The third habit that helps us focus on kindness throughout the month is choosing to bless someone. This blessing can take many forms, anything from sending flowers to a neighbor who lost a loved one, buying stocking stuffers for kids who utilize our local food shelf, picking up extra school supplies in the fall, or volunteering at a local homeless shelter. There really is no limit to whom you can bless or what you can do to bless others each month.

Sometimes my children will do simple things to bless others, such as including a child who doesn’t normally get picked to play a game or sharing their toys with a sibling. We as adults have paid for another person’s lunch, given someone a ride, and spent time with a friend who just needed to talk. There are lots of ways to bless others, and teaching ourselves and our children to notice needs and act on them is another way we are all learning to be kind each month. If we aren’t sure where to start or what to do, we’ll often ask our kids (and ourselves): What have others done that has blessed us? Is there someone else we could pass that blessing on to?

Blessing others can be done in tangible ways, like buying someone a cup of coffee or a meal, or it can be offered through our words, simply letting someone know how they’ve benefited our lives. We don’t always have to spend money to show kindness toward others. Sometimes the most thoughtful thing we can do is to show up and be present for the people around us. It’s also good to remember that our kind acts don’t benefit just others, but they benefit us as well. Proverbs 11 tells us that a generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. What a wonderful benefit we can receive by simply being a blessing to others!

—Kendra

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Find someone you can bless, and see if it doesn’t bring refreshment to your own life.

From the book