An Act of Kindness: Dinner Challenge
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A deliberate act of kindness: Dinner challenge.
This week, we’re taking a detour from the usual conversations about teams, performance, EQ, etc. This week is something simple and powerful: a deliberate act of kindness.
Here’s a straightforward challenge for the next time you go out for dinner:
Pick a random person in the restaurant and quietly pay for their meal.
That’s it. No big moment, no announcement, no recognition.
How it works.
Next time you’re at dinner, let your server know you’d like to cover another table’s bill. Make sure they keep it anonymous so the person/people never know it was you.
“It’s a simple, direct way to create a positive moment in someone else’s day. You’ll never know the impact it has, which is part of what makes it meaningful.”
For most people, this is an occasional or one time expense that’s manageable. Maybe it’s once a year, maybe once a quarter, maybe more. Even if you do it once ever and never again, the frequency isn’t the point. Doing something is.
It’s a simple, direct way to create a positive moment in someone else’s day. You’ll never know the impact it has, which is part of what makes it meaningful.
One other thing: no performance.
There’s one important rule to this: you’re not allowed to tell another living soul that you did it.
Not your coworkers. Not your friends. Not a post on social media.
“There’s one important rule to this: you’re not allowed to tell another living soul that you did it.”
If you do, it doesn’t count.
This isn’t about kudos or being appreciated, or performing that you’re a good person. It’s a private decision to do something good for someone else, without expectation or acknowledgment.
In a world where so much of what we do is visible and shareable, and done in service of other people’s opinion of us, choosing to do something kind in complete anonymity is shockingly powerful for yourself.
Why this matters for you.
“Deliberate, anonymous acts of kindness and selflessness feel great, and they push back against a culture that often rewards visibility over substance.”
Deliberate, anonymous acts of kindness and selflessness feel great, and they push back against a culture that often rewards visibility over substance.
They’re a reminder that we have the power to make impact on the people around us in big and little ways, and that we shouldn’t need an audience or recognition to do that.
There’s also something else that happens when you do something truly selfless and kind: it gets on you too. It shifts your mindset, improves your mood, and makes you feel empowered. It’s grounding, energizing, and feels pretty damn great to go around doing nice things for no reward other than putting good out into the world.
A word of warning.
This can be pretty addictive.
“If you believe in the sentiment of making the world a better place, who are you waiting for to make that happen?”
Once you experience the feeling of doing something deliberate and meaningful for someone else without recognition, you may want to keep doing it.
Why not you?
Whether your worldview is rooted in faith, atheism, or a general belief in the goodness of the universe, my questions for you is this:
If you believe in the sentiment of making the world a better place, who are you waiting for to make that happen?
I nominate you:)
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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