Can I Grab That For You?

    Every Sunday night, when you go to take out your own garbage and recycling, knock on your neighbor’s door and offer to take hers out, too. You might even be invited in for tea and cookies, as I was!

A Laugh a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

    As the legendary Charlie Chaplin said, “A Day without laughter is a day wasted.” Laughter and good humor are infectious. Sharing a funny story or memory with others helps increase happiness and intimacy between friends, acquaintances, and loved ones. According to helpguide.org, laughter triggers happiness and can strengthen the immune system, boost energy, relieve physical and emotional pain, and battle the effects of stress. Today is a great day! Let yourself enjoy it.

Stories Are Not Just for Bedtime

    Read a child a story. Introducing children to the world of books while they’re young will help boost their imagination and intelligence (and will also strengthen your bond). Whether you are babysitting, reading to your own child, or volunteering at a library or hospital, this deed goes a long way.

Roll Out the Welcome Wagon

    Greet your new neighbors with a homemade housewarming gift. You’ll make a new connection and help them feel more at home. Good neighbors can last a lifetime and bring a real sense of community on a daily basis.

Say My Name

    When meeting new people, make an effort to remember their name so that when you address them, it’s more personal, respectful, and will make a good impression on them. Everyone is important. When you see them the next time, greet them by name. So simple, so nice.

Make Amends

    It’s never too late to say you’re sorry. Apologize to someone you wronged in the past, especially if you stopped communicating because of the issue. By admitting fault and letting them know how sorry you are to have hurt them, you are taking responsibility for your actions and proving that you care enough for them to make things right. However bad you felt over the problem, you will feel five times better after making peace.

Please, Mr. Postman

    Look into a pen pal. Writing to someone in a foreign land- whether it be a soldier, a fellow student, or a long-lost relative-can really help you gain perspective and will do the same for the person you are writing to. Check out this website for more details on how to find a pen pal: penpalworld.com. Letter writing is more meaningful than an email or text- this beautifully old-fashioned tradition will bring lasting enjoyment to you and your pal.

I Just Called To Say I Love You

    Call your parents (or whoever raised you) and thank them for everything they did for you!

Share Your Skills

    Teach someone a craft or skill you are good at. Sharing your talent with someone else may allow them to discover their own potential. Whether it’s cooking, archery, or photography, spend some time doing what you love with another. Teaching people how to do something new will help you maintain your interest and establish a connection with the person you are with. No doubt you will learn just as much from being a teacher.

Seek Out the Shy

    Rescue a wallflower. Most people know what it’s like to go to a party and end up standing by yourself. If you see someone alone, mosey on over to them and strike up a conversation. Nine times out of ten, they will have the most interesting things to say out of anybody at the party or dance.

Write Letters and Send Postcards

    The things that make me the happiest have emotional and physical effects. These effects are felt even more when they are done for someone else. One of the most lasting is writing a personal letter. Born in the transitional time between letters and computers, many people in my generation have already shunned snail mail as a way to communicate. This makes letters rare, but a very inexpensive surprise. My grandmother was one of seven children, and they communicated with a round-robin letter. From mailbox to mailbox, they would add an update on their life and send it around to the next sibling. She taught me that letters are a valuable form of communication, something she’s emphasized as her memory slowly fades. I got into the habit of writing letters and during the times where I was most stressed, I would write a letter. Letters live somewhere between thoughts and stories. They are confidential and a piece of yourself that you can choose to scrap or share. 

    When I receive a letter, especially from someone whom I haven’t heard from in a while, I get a rush of endorphins, because I’m holding proof that the friend thought of me. It’s the same rush I get when someone is considerate or goes out of their way to help me. Most friends reciprocate with a call to say how happy they were to open a personal note rather than another bill. 

    I studied epistolary literature in college, often using my break from studying as a chance to write letters. Perhaps letters will go the way of Wells Fargo wagons, but I’ll single-handedly support the post office as long as my friends have addresses and my fingers can write. Letters are my personal therapy, my rush of endorphins, my connection with those I love, and my alone time-my regular serving of happiness.

Friend a Family

    Sponsor a low-income family via boxproject.org. The Box Project joins struggling families in depressed regions of rural America with individuals or groups who send about $50 worth of food, clothing, and medical supplies monthly. The idea is not just to provide financial support, but emotional support as well. Most participants develop long-term relationships over many years, cemented through letters. In addition, the organization encourages volunteers to learn about where the family they help lives, so they can impact public services and local policy. I know this is helping a lot of people in my home state of West Virginia where hard times remain.

Tell the Truth

    Be truthful, even when it is hard. If someone asks for your opinion, give it honestly. Otherwise, you can’t be confident in your own answer. My friend Nancy Fish lives by this and one other ideal (more about that later!)

Glad Days

    Let someone know that you appreciate having him or her in your life. Sometimes we forget how good it feels to be appreciated; yet we know how lousy it feels to be unappreciated. Go ahead and tell someone how thankful you are for his or her presence; it will only make you closer.

Do You Know How Great You Are?

    Compliment someone today, and mean it. A genuine compliment can boost someone’s confidence and that is a great feeling. If you like your coworker’s blouse or new haircut (or both!), tell her. Open and honest communication works wonders for developing relationships and makes everybody’s day a little bit nicer.

Catch People Doing Something Right (and Make Sure They Know It)

    During difficult transitions, our natural tendency is often to resist change and grow rigid. In this state, we seem to only be able to focus on the negatives. We think about the despair that follows the death of a loved one, but not the wonderful moments spent together. We think of the heartbreak of a relationship ending, but not the exhilaration and freedom of being unattached. We might even scold our loved ones, or our friends, or coworkers for something minor when we ourselves wallow in similar negativity. But it is in these moments that gratitude can be used to alter this way of thinking.

    Finding positives and accentuating them is the easiest way to turn those proverbial frowns upside down and gray skies back to blue. Try catching someone doing something right for a change, not something wrong. Giving praise for a job well done will lift all parties involved.