nice things you can do for people

What is the nicest thing you can do for someone?

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Being on the startup grind with Terkel has made me feel very selfish as of late.

All I do is work and spend time with my family. That’s all I care about, and all I’m focused on.

Which – I’ll admit – solely focusing on family and work isn’t a great or sustainable approach to life. There’s about 8 billion people in the world. The upside to be nice is tremendously high.

With that said, I think being nice to people starts with awareness. What are nice things that selfish and busy people like me can do for others?

For inspiration, I asked the community at Terkel about the last nice thing they did for someone. Here’s what people had to say.

What are nice things you can do for people?

From helping a neighbor to offering pro-bono services, here are answers to the question, “What’s something nice you did for someone lately?”

  • Offered a Pro-bono 4 Hour Coaching Session
  • I Helped My Neighbor Organize their Garden
  • A Cup of Kindness – a Simple Tea Party
  • Buy a Starbucks Coffee for My Burned Out Colleague
  • Showed Kindness to a Friend in Need
  • Helped An Elderly Neighbor With Grocery Shopping
  • Showing Gratitude
  • Blitzed Through a Series of Mortgage Forms
  • I Helped a Friend Move into Her New House
  • Helping Foster Child to Find Permanent Family
  • Donated Clothes to Someone & Blankets to Animal Shelter
  • Bought a Friend a Concert Ticket

Offered a Pro-bono 4 Hour Coaching Session

I was recently inspired by the courage and intelligence of a man with cerebral palsy that I met on LinkedIn. He saw my comment on his post and reached out to me for an interview coaching consultation.

These days, I rarely promote my interview coaching anymore because my passion has become more focused on providing authentic confidence coaching and custom guided meditations for clients who are looking to reclaim their authentic self and learn how to self-lovingly move forward.

When I met James, I could see his personality, intelligence, and heart. He has multiple college degrees and has been supporting himself with freelance work for over 10 years without any health insurance. He’s tired of doing freelance work and would now really like to work for a stable organization where he can also receive insurance. He’d had a few interviews, but hadn’t yet received any job offers.

We’ve broken my 4-hour session into 4 separate sessions, and I’m confident he’ll be receiving that job offer very soon.

Kim O’Neill, Authentic Confidence and Interview Coach, Kim O’Neill Coaching

I Helped My Neighbor Organize their Garden

I recently spent some time helping my neighbor organize their garden. They had a lot of plants that needed to be planted and weeded, so I offered to lend a hand.

It was really nice to see the finished product – it looks beautiful! Plus, I got to spend some quality time with them outside in the fresh air, which was a bonus!

Michael Fischer, Founder, Elite HRT

A Cup of Kindness – a Simple Tea Party

I live in an area where there are lots of lovely older folks, and I’ve gotten to know quite a few of them over the years. We chat, I help them with their shopping, that sort of thing.

But I always get the sense that they can be a bit lonely, you know? They want to socialize and have company, but their health makes it hard for them to get out and about.

So, I had an idea! I invited all of my elderly neighbors over for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. It was such a small thing, but it made such a big difference. They were all so happy to have a little get-together and spend some time chatting and laughing with each other. It was a real treat to see them smiling and having a good time.

I guess what I’m trying to say is sometimes, the smallest gestures can bring the most joy. So, try to spread a little kindness in your neighborhood, you’ll be surprised at how much it can brighten someone’s day.

Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing and Outreach Manager, UK Passport Photo

Buy a Starbucks Coffee for My Burned Out Colleague

Recently, one of my colleagues had been feeling burned out due to the long hours and hectic workload. To show my appreciation for their hard work, I decided to buy them a Starbucks coffee as a pick-me-up.

Knowing this colleague was always busy, I made sure to buy the coffee ahead of time and surprise and gladden their day with it when I saw them next. It felt so rewarding and special to be able to give back in some small way, knowing that such a gesture can bring joy and comfort to someone’s life.

Jim Campbell, Owner, Camp Media

Showed Kindness to a Friend in Need

Recently, a close friend of mine was going through a tough time, and I wanted to do something nice for them. I offered to take them out for dinner and spend some quality time together. We went to their favorite restaurant, and I listened to them as they opened up about their struggles. It made me happy to be able to provide them with some comfort and support during a difficult time. I believe that small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life.

Will Gill, Event Entertainer, DJ Will Gill

Helped An Elderly Neighbor With Grocery Shopping

I recently helped an elderly neighbor with her grocery shopping. She has been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately and was having trouble getting to the store, so I offered to pick up some items for her. It felt really good to help someone in need, especially since she has been such a great neighbor over the years. Helping others is one of my favorite ways to make a difference.

Asker Ahmed, Director and Founder, iProcess

Blitzed Through a Series of Mortgage Forms

One of my part-time employees is applying for a mortgage to buy their first apartment, and due to their unique tax situation, the income they earned with me wasn’t going to be counted towards their financial capability until two days before the deadline to submit the documents.

They reached out to me out of the blue with a rather complex set of forms one evening, and I then proceeded to push through at maximum speed, bringing in my accountant to help make sure everything was as well-filled out as we could make it.

I ended up meeting my employee in the middle of nowhere on their way to the bank to hand off the forms so they could have everything in time and hopefully get a much better deal.

Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind

I Helped a Friend Move into Her New House

I recently helped a friend move into her new house by helping to carry boxes and furniture. It was great to be able to help out and I’m so glad that she asked for my help! It felt good to know that I could do something nice for someone else. It’s always nice to be able to lend a helping hand, and I think it’s important to try and do so whenever possible.

Yusuf Shurbaji, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Prismfly

Helping Foster Child to Find Permanent Family

I recently had the pleasure of assisting a foster child in finding a permanent and loving adoptive family. This method entailed getting to know the child, a young boy, and learning about his specific requirements, likes, and dislikes.

I worked closely with the youngster to create trust and a pleasant rapport. I supported both the youngster and the adopting family throughout the adoption process. I assisted the youngster in understanding what was going on and what to expect, as well as the adoptive family in preparing for the transition.

I also arranged for visits between the youngster and the adoptive family so that they could get to know each other and form a bond before the adoption was finalized. It was a long and difficult process, but it was extremely rewarding to see the youngster ultimately find a home to call his own.

The youngster was thrilled, and the adopting family was overjoyed to have him. As a social worker, it was an extremely rewarding experience.

Sarah Parks, Marketing Manager, Moments Fostering

Donated Clothes to Someone & Blankets to Animal Shelter

I recently helped someone out by donating my clothing, alongside towels and blankets, to the animal shelter. I absolutely love apparel! I go shopping on Shoppok every few weeks or so and buy a few items that, eventually, are worn just once or twice before being pushed to the back of the wardrobe to make way for new clothing. I always have a ton of perfectly good clothing stuff that I don’t need lying around.

Don’t hoard if you have a sizable collection of clothing that you don’t intend to wear. Send them off to a new home by making a charitable donation. I most recently gave blankets and towels to the animal shelter as well. A little puppy would be curled up in a cozy blanket that you contributed during a chilly winter night when the wind is bitingly cold and the clouds are raging with all their might.

We’re all cozy now, thanks to you! Don’t dispose of old blankets and stained towels in the trash. Donate them to your neighborhood animal shelter.

Himanshu Sharma, CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing

Bought a Friend a Concert Ticket

I recently wanted to see a new band that was coming to town and wanted a friend to go with. I asked my friend if they wanted to go with me, and I decided to purchase their ticket. This friend has been a great person to me and has done many nice things for me, and this was the least I could do. I now have someone to go to the concert with, and I did something nice for them. This is part of being a true friend to someone.

Scott Krager, Founder, Key Fob Replacement

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