Happy Birthday To Me!

My birthday is quickly approaching. Am I excited about it? Not one bit. It seems like the friends or coworkers around me are more excited about my birthday than I am. That is okay. It doesn’t bother me. However, when people ask me what I want for my birthday, and I give them a genuine answer, they look at me like I’m stupid.

Just this past week I have had a handful of people ask me what I want for my birthday. I am telling everyone the same thing. And I am still getting the same answer and blank stare from them. I guess I just don’t understand where the confusion lies.

“What do you want for your birthday”?

“Do something nice for someone else”.

It is as simple as that. Or at least I thought it was simple. However, it is not that simple for everyone else. I have had people laugh at me when I tell them what I want. Heck, today I had someone literally walk away from me while they were laughing! Why is it so hard to believe that all I want for my birthday is for someone to be nice to someone else? Is it really that rare? Apparently, it is.

Here are some ideas on something nice that you can do for someone else; for my birthday.

20. Call someone that you have not spoken to in a long time just to say hi and catch up.

19. Give someone an unexpected hug.

18. Offer your sincere empathy to someone. And please realize that sympathy is much different than empathy.

17. Drop a card or postcard in the mail for someone.

16. Offer one of your friends free babysitting for a night so that they can go out, kid-free!

15. Surprise your parents or your grandparents by cooking them a meal.

14. Compliment someone and tell them how happy you are that they are in your life.

13. Hold someone’s hand. Hold your spouse’s hand.

12. Help out with a chore around the house without being asked.

11. Listen to a full conversation without interjecting your own opinion.

10. Once you listen to them, let them know that you understand.

9. Let someone in your family or household sleep in, even if it is only 30 minutes.

8. Pay for a stranger's meal in a fast food drive-through or a coffee shop.

7. Purposefully wear or use a gift from someone in front of them.

6. Just hold someone while they cry. Especially a child. Let a child know it is okay to show emotion.

5. Print a picture of you and a friend and give it to them. A physical picture.

4. If you have a garden, clip some herbs or fruits or vegetables and share them.

3. Honor a new mother by giving her a gift, not just the baby.

2. Be very mindful of your facial and body gestures during the conversation.

1. Keep your tone of voice soothing and quiet. Honor other people’s space while you listen to them.

If anyone should reach deep down inside of themselves to do any one of these 20 ideas; I know I would be grateful. I know that the recipient of your actions would be grateful. And I am pretty sure that if you think about it, you would be grateful as well. You see, behavior is contagious. If someone sees you doing something, chances are they will mimic that behavior. So why not give them positive behavior to mimic? And if you have to have my birthday, or anyone else’s birthday for that matter, to use as an excuse; then do it!

Until next time!

#KristinaWrites

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