“Always remember, everyone is hungry for praise and starving for honest appreciation!” David Brandt Berg

Sometimes all it takes is a hug.  I was on an elevator, and a young man got on with me. He had lots of tattoos and piercings and looked pretty “tough.”  He seemed to be upset, so, instead of ignoring him, I asked him how his day was doing.  (Yes, I broke the cardinal rule and actually talked to someone in the elevator.)

He started crying and told me, “My girlfriend just broke up with me, and I don’t know what to do. I still love her so much.” Instead of plying him with platitudes like “It will all work out…” I asked him if he needed a hug, and he said, “Yes.”  So I gave him one.

It was just a moment. The conversation and subsequent hug lasted less than two minutes, and yet the energy in the elevator was lighter and happier when we got off.

Pay attention to the world around you. Look for ways you can help someone feel just a bit better about themselves.  A hug is just one of the many kindness “tools” we all have in our toolbox.  Use it.

PS – Whose day are you going to make today with your random act of kindness?