Do you know what today is? (Besides hump day… Don’t expect that awesome camel from the Geico commercial to pop in here, although I would love it if he did because he makes me giggle every time he yells, “WOOT WOOT!” but I digress.)
*ahem*
Today, is the final installment in our summer series, A Girl’s Guide to Self-Confidence! This summer has been a whirlwind for our family with a lot of unexpected twists and turns (like real twists, as in the broken-foot-kind of twist that my daughter had early in the summer), but I have really enjoyed visiting with you each week for this fabulous series.
One of the biggest ways, I think, to boost your own self-confidence is to do good for others. I’m a big fan of paying it forward, helping out the least of these, spreading the love.
Ok, you get the idea.
I thought it would be a fantastic way to wrap up this series and keeping the positive vibes and momentum going if we discuss and implement random acts of kindness!
Think back for a moment to the last time someone did something unexpectedly nice for you. Think about what was going on in your life at that moment. How did you feel when you received that outreach of love? Did it change your mood? Did it empower you to be more optimistic? Was it from someone you knew or a complete stranger?
My husband and I were in the drive-thru of Chick-Fil-A one day, and we were noticing a particularly rambunctious group of teenage girls in the car ahead of us. They didn’t seem to be paying much attention to anyone else in the drive-thru as they sang along with their loud music and danced like they were having seizures. My husband remarked that he hopes our daughter doesn’t ever act like that. (I kept my mouth shut because I vividly remember acting like that…In fact my daughter and I act like crazy fools rather often!)
Anyway, when it was finally our turn to pay and get our food, the nice little dude in the drive-thru window told us that our meal had been covered…by the group of teenage girls ahead of us.
Shocked? Yes. Pleasantly surprised? Absolutely. I think my hubby even felt a bit sheepish for making the comments he made at that point.
For no reason at all, those girls paid for our meals and went on with their lives, never receiving a ‘thank-you’ from us. (Because they drove away before we had a chance, not because we’re rude like that.)
As Christians, we are called to do for “the least of these” {Matt. 25:40}, caring for those who cannot do for themselves. But there’s so much more to random acts of kindness than just caring for those who lack something. Sometimes a simple word or hug can change a person’s day. An offer of prayer could save a soul.
Regardless of the act itself, I can guarantee you that any random act of kindness you do will not only brighten the day of the person who receives it, but also brighten your day.
I want to show you something very simple that you can do as a random act of kindness. You can use notecards or colored paper or whatever you may have around the house. I used a few extra 4×6 Project Life journal cards for this project:
On the outside of each folded card, I wrote, “Someone is praying for you…” On the inside, I wrote an encouraging Bible verse, then sealed them with a strip of washi tape.
That’s it. Simple. But what if you were having a bad day and came out to your car to find this on your windshield? Would it make a difference?
Did you know that doing something good for someone else can be physiologically and physically beneficial to you, the giver? Studies have shown that the positive feelings you get when doing good can lead to reduced stress, a sense of calmness, and heightened feelings of connection with others. {source}
Essentially, we feel good when we make others feel good. {Hello! Boost of confidence!}
Pretty simple, right? Get out there and do it! Then write about how it made you feel in your journal. But don’t just do it once and be done. The more you do, the better you feel!
As a special “thank-you” from me to you for participating in this series, I’ve created a Free Printable for you to keep. Go HERE to download your copy – prints best up to 8×10.
For the complete series, A Girl’s Guide to Self-Confidence, click HERE, or view each week below:
Week 1: For the Moms
Week 2: Real Beauty
Week 3: Sticks & Stones
Week 4: Women Who Rock
Week 5: Don’t Miss the Moments
Week 6: Girl, You’ve Got Talent
Week 7: The Honest Truth
Week 8: Support System
Thank you so much for following along with this series. It’s been a blast! Look forward to another blog series coming to One Tough Mother this fall! Details to come – be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss any of the details!
