A Lion lay fast asleep, lazing about, but was startled awake by a Mouse running across his nose. The Lion opens his mouth, a large and black abyss, to make a tasty meal of the Mouse. But the Mouse convinces the Lion to let him go and reminds the Lion that he will help him sometime in the future. At the thought of the small Mouse being able to help the large, beastly Lion, he laughs and smirks. However, shortly thereafter the little Mouse happens upon the beastly Lion ensnared in ropes set by hunters. The little Mouse scampers up to Lion and chews through the ropes to free the Lion, prompting both the Lion and the Mouse to smile.
Aesop’s Fables at its finest and one that came to mind after a recent Poretta & Orr networking event. So what is the lesson we should take from this story?
A kindness is never wasted.
Poretta & Orr has a story to tell. Once upon a time in Doylestown…
Right before the holiday’s Poretta & Orr held its annual holiday networking event and asked guests to spread Holiday Kindness. Each guest was given a festively wrapped gift card and asked to Pay It Forward. No parameters, just Pay It Forward … well, there was one favor we asked our guests, share the moment with us.
What we heard after our event was that the act of Paying It Forward had a two-fold effect. The “givers” noted this initiative made them feel good and heightened their awareness to find ways to Pay It Forward regularly in the future and the “receivers” felt the warmth and kindness of another human being.
We received a number of stories and were impressed that they all reinforced the mentality to be kind to everyone, as you never know the impact your act of kindness will have on others. These heartwarming stories demonstrate the power of selfless human kindness. The unexpected act of someone noticing you, helping you or appreciating you, can change the course of someone’s day.
We heard from guests that stopped strangers from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and from those that noticed someone in line at the grocery store. One person gave it to their hairdresser, a working mom that “serves as a miracle worker and part-time advice counselor.”
In another instance our guest was out to dinner at a local restaurant with a party of twelve! She noted how hard their waitress was hustling and yet she never once stopped smiling. Before leaving the restaurant she gave the waitress the gift card and told her how great she was at her job and to treat herself.
And finally, a particularly touching story. One of our guests was at a coffee shop and a down-on-his-luck man came in to get a coffee. He turned and asked how much a cup of coffee cost, to which our guest replied, $3.00. The gentleman then ordered a cup of coffee but the coffee shop refused to pour it until he produced the money. At that moment, he started digging in his pockets…and our guest handed him the gift card. It made his day. In this instance, he didn’t ask, but he was in need…and heard. Sometimes, a little kindness goes a long way.
These heartwarming instances demonstrate the power of one. Not all of us have the resources to provide grand gestures demonstrating kindness. But we all can smile. We all can say, hello. We all have the power to make a positive difference through kindness. Acts of kindness enrich our lives and make us feel seen, heard and cared about.
As life unfolds for each of us this year, let’s try to remember that even the smallest of creatures are capable of great deeds and no act of kindness is ever wasted.