Man with small Deeds

Deed 

1. Something that is carried out; an act or action.

2. A usually praiseworthy act; a feat or exploit.

3. Action or performance in general: Deeds, not words, matter most.  

Mother Teresa once said, “We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love.”

Small acts of kindness resonate in all our lives.

Small achievements pave the way for big achievements. Because when you know you’ve done it before, you will feel confident of doing it again and again.

Small achievements,

a.    focused in a consistent direction,

b.    big achievements are made of opportunity from small achievement.

You can’t create a great fortune in one day. Yet you can make significant positive progress toward building that fortune, each and every day.

Add value to every moment, and that value will add up. Whatever your desire, whatever your dream, there are always steps you can take right here and now.

When you take those steps, you are fulfilling the desire. When you make those small achievements, you are living the dream.

Fill your moments with small achievements. And you’ll fill your life with great and lasting value.

 

Small Deeds Make The Biggest Impact

Let your good deeds be like rain; spread a little everywhere.

   “Just do what you can.”

Serving others should be a passion.

Many people want to do a good deed but there is a misconception that in order to carry out such deed it has to be done on a wide scale. Being nice to the cashier, giving a compliment or even just a smile to the next person that you go by.

In life, it is the small things that really make a big difference. You might never know, but the person that you smiled with might have been having a bad day, but that smile made the person’s day a little brighter.

Have a heart for helping others because small deeds can make a difference. Receiving assistance from several individuals in different aspect of life and the great thing about these individuals never wanted anything in return, actually, the only thing they wanted was to see success in all areas of life.

These were small deeds, for some it may have been a sacrifice but they all knew what difference this act of kindness and generosity can do. It is like the ripple effect, they help me and I volunteer during my free time by helping others and the organizations that I volunteer at helps others.

So many people believe that in order to show others that to do good humanity, the need to go to service third world country project. However not everyone was cut out to do that type of service.

Community

How about you start in your own community? Find a local organization that you are able to volunteer at and if you only have an hour a week to volunteer, volunteer each week and although it may seem like a small deed, it will eventually make a big difference in the organization and the people that they help.

Too many times our ideas of helping others are discouraged because it may not be a big deed and it does not measure up to what others might be accomplishing. But how about instead of trying to change an entire nation at once, we start by doing something small.

A small birthday to classmate or even a homemade card, or the next time we see someone sitting alone at the lunch table, join them. Your presence can improve the person’s day or even your own. Of course these are all small deeds but you have no idea just how special it might make these people feel. After all it’s the small things that counts.

Unfortunately our expectations when thinking about leaving a legacy are far too high. Not everyone needs to end world poverty, found a non-profit-organization helping orphans in Asia etc. to make a difference in this world.

Big Projects

Then there is time as another factor. Realizing big projects needs strength, courage and time, huge amounts of time. This makes it even more impossible for us to start as time is something we all lack nowadays. We hardly have time for our loved ones; how should we have time for big world changing projects.

Do you have similar thoughts? If so you might come to the conclusion that it is absolutely not possible for you to create something bigger than yourself. You might have major doubts and this leads to you not even starting anything.

Valuable asset

Keep in mind: You already are valuable and enriching

Maybe we feel small and helpless because of not having the time and money to make a big difference. Maybe you have the feeling of not being able to create something at all. You are trapped in your everyday routine: waking up, drinking coffee, going to work, doing chores in the house, going to bed...

You don’t need so much more energy and time to make a difference. Little deeds count more than you think. Every smile, every comforting word, every good deed, every time you praise or encourage someone, every time you say that you like or even love someone makes a difference for at least one person.

Stop thinking too big, stop trying to take on everything. Stop thinking that you have to overcome big obstacles to make your deeds valuable. Allow yourself to lighten the path. There is no strenuous effort needed. You only need to show love and recognition to make a difference.

Create a chain reaction

It is your smile, your readiness to help others, your appreciation towards others which already leaves a legacy in people. Every person you meet can feel the difference you made in their day.

If you smile at one person you might have made their day already. If you are comforting for someone going through a rough time, you change things for the better. If you show courage in certain situations you might support others to speak up as well.

Whether we know it consciously or not, we make a difference every day. The best is this works like a chain reaction. You make a difference for others and they pass it on. What goes around comes around. If you made one person smile and they got in a better mood they might just feel the urge to make another person smile as well.

Be conscious of the power you have

It feels great when we consciously know that we can influence the world a little bit. It feels great to use our own energy for doing small good deeds. It’s all about these little moments which clearly make a difference.

Try thinking about times when others made a difference in your life. What did they do to motivate you, comfort you or make you smile? What made you feel appreciated?

Was it their smile, a simple hug or just a word? Was it time they took for you? Was it a short text, a small gift or a postcard?

All these small things make a difference. They can be a trigger for them to become more daring, to take on challenges or to feel loved and appreciated.

It is your task that people take away something positive when meeting you, even if it’s only a nice word or a short smile. The best is you do not only create a difference for them you also enrich your own life and make yourself feel better.

“Little deeds of kindness, little words of love, help to make earth happy like the heaven above.” These are the words of Julia A. Fletcher Carney. William Shakespeare also said, “He is not great who is not greatly good.”Are these words reflected in our day to day living, and do we believe that these are the true elements of greatness?For many of us a great person is one who has achieved enviable financial, academic or related status. A great person is one who has been involved in heroic deeds or one who has received wide acclaim and commendation for his works or achievements.

     

Psychology

Researcher, Barbara Fredrickson, had an interesting viewpoint—that kindness, specifically loving kindness, moved one out of the selfish realm. Compassion and kindness also reduce stress, boost our immune systems, and help reduce negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, and depression.

v  It releases an energy. We feel better and the recipients of our acts feel better, which then makes them more likely to be kind to other people.     v  It can release neurochemicals that result in a sense of well-being--the “helper’s                  high”--as Allan Luks and Peggy Payne describe the healing power of doing good.          In  fact, the neural circuits that are involved in chemical “highs” are the same ones              activated by kindness and compassion.      v  It can reduce pain. Dopamine, serotonin, and endogenous opioids are released by             kind behavior.     v  It enhances the release of oxytocin in interactions where two or more people are              engaged in kindness behavior. In turn, bonds between those who are kind to one                another are strengthened.      v  It enhances both physical and mental health. Many physical ailments are either              precipitated by or aggravated by stress. Kindness reduces stress.

When we practice random acts of kindness, a habit of giving—of wanting to lift burdens from others, or to merely provide a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. It humanizes us; it lifts us spiritually. And, it is good for us.

The simple witnessing of others being kind can release the same “feel good” chemicals that doing an act of kindness can produce.

The Helper's High

So where do these good feelings come from? When you are kind to another person, your brain's pleasure and reward centers light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver, according to research from Emory University.

This phenomenon has actually earned the nickname “helper's high” among psychologists who study generosity, and some researchers theorize that the sensation is also due to a release of endorphins, those feel-good chemicals associated with runner's high. In 2010 Harvard Business School survey of happiness in 136 countries found that people who are altruistic—in this case, people who were generous financially, such as with charitable donations—were happiest overall.

Part of why giving feels good is because we know we're lifting someone else's spirits . Receiving a gift, assistance, or even an encouraging smile activates the brain's reward center, a phenomenon that's hard to explain but easy to feel—just think back to the last time a stranger held the door for you or your partner surprised you with your favorite meal.

The sudden appearance of these positive feelings is what helps keep the giving chain alive: Somebody who has just received an bit of kindness is elevated, happy, and grateful, making them likely to help someone else, according to a 2007 study from Harvard University.

Benefit of Doing Good

i.          Ever felt a rush after doing a good deed?

ii.        Ever noticed you were more relaxed after a day of volunteering?

iii.     Did you ever feel motivated to do good after thinking about the last time you helped someone?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, there’s a good explanation for why - it’s called science. 

1. Doing good decreases stress

A 2013 study examining the relationship between volunteering and hypertension, giving back can have a significant impact on blood pressure. Researchers found that adults over 50 who volunteered about four hours a week were 40 percent less likely than non-volunteers to have developed hypertension four years later.

Additionally, being generous can have the same effect, according to a 2010 study, which found that the less money people gave away, the higher their cortisol levels. 

2.  Doing Good Increases Life-Expectancy

Researchers from the University of Buffalo found a link between giving, unselfishness and a lower risk of early death. The findings show that subjects who provided tangible assistance to friends or family members (running errands, helping with child care, etc.), reported less stressful events and, consequently, had reduced mortality. In other words, “helping others reduced mortality specifically by buffering the association between stress and mortality.”

3. Doing Good Makes Us Feel Better

Ever felt a sort of “rush” after performing a good deed? That sensation is known as ‘helper’s high’ and is produced when your brain releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals of the brain. When you do something good for someone else, your brain’s pleasure centers light up, releasing endorphin and producing this high. Not to mention, doing good has also been known to generate feelings of satisfaction and gratitude.

4. Doing Good Makes Us Happier At Work

A study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, altruists in the office are more likely to be committed to their work and less likely to quit their jobs. The researchers also found that individuals in their mid-30s who rated helping others in their work as important, reported they were happier with their life when surveyed 30 years later.

Overall, the study came to an important conclusion about office altruism: those who help others are happier at work than those who don’t prioritize helping others.

5. Doing Good Promotes Mental Health

After an extensive review of 40 studies on the effect of volunteering on general health and happiness, the BMC Public Health journal has concluded that volunteering is also good for mental health. The review found that - along with improved well-being and life satisfaction – volunteering is also linked to decreased depression.

6. Doing Good Leads To Happiness

"People who engage in kind acts become happier over time.” It’s that simple, according to Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Lyubomirsky, who has studied happiness for over 20 years, found that performing positive acts once a week led to the most happiness.

In addition, Researcher Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that when we give of ourselves, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly improved.

7.  Doing Good Will Motivate You To Do Good Again

A 2012 study published in Psychological Science found that thinking about times you’ve helped others will make you want to help others again. The research found that reflecting on your past good deeds makes you feel selfless and want to help more, as compared to reflecting on the times others have helped you. In other words, thinking about what you’ve given others – and not only what you’ve received - will motivate you to do good again and again.

Extracts taken with thanks from:

https:// www.bemoreawesome.com/power—small-deeds-done/

https:// www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-nourishment/2017/why-random-acts-kindness-matter-your-welllbeing

https://www.happify.com/hd/the-power-of-a-single-act-of-kindness/

https://www.goodnet.org/articles/7-scientific-facts-about-benefit-doing--good

http://greatday.com

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/change-the-world-one-good-deed-time

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/change-the-world-one-good-deed-time

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/life-xtra/the-greatness-of-small-deeds

https://www.bemoreawesome.com/power-small--deeds-done/