You know, in a way, smiling can be worth cold, hard cash. The attitude you bring to your job can absolutely affect how your coworkers and your superiors perceive you. And that might just translate into better pay one day.
Okay, I don’t have the science on this, but positivity really ought to pay off, don’t you think? It often does, at least in other ways, like making day-to-day living more pleasant for everyone. That has to be worth something!
1. In Thailand, this crossing guard dresses up every day to both make himself more visible and to make it more fun for the kids he helps across the street.
Probably more fun for himself, too.
2. During an election in Ireland, dog owners around the country showed their enthusiasm for democracy by sharing pictures of their pups at the polling stations on social media under the hashtag #dogsatpollingstations.
And if they won nothing else that day, they won Twitter, at least.
3. These protesters in Costa Rica, out to voice their opposition to a new tax law, didn’t want the riot police to suffer in the rain, so they shared their umbrellas.
Putting the “civil” back in “civil disobedience.”
4. These two guys helped a young white-tailed deer that had gotten itself tangled up in a fence.
Could have easily been a much worse situation if these two nice fellows hadn’t come along!
5. This laundromat keeps a box on hand where customers can drop off non-perishable food for those in need, and people can take whatever they’d like.
Just doing good things for the neighborhood!
6. A maternity nurse spent “all her free time for the last 60ish days” knitting special Halloween hats for the newborns at her hospital.
What parent wouldn’t love a little pumpkin beanie for their fresh little bean?
8. And then there’s this professor, who fed his student’s baby while she took a quiz.
And once again, he doesn’t seem to mind the situation even a little bit. You have to think that both of these guys are grandfathers, right?
9. “Eight years ago, I visited France and went on a tour of castles in the Loire Valley. This dog was hanging out the window staring longingly. Everyone left the tour to give him pets,” wrote Reddit user ormandasa.
“10/10 good castle boy.”
10. “When my neighbour’s dog comes over and always wants to play,” wrote Reddit user Alexfromeast. “We live on the end of a dead-end road in the country so he comes over all the time. It’s great, like he’s my dog for a hour a day.”
Just a good boy spreading the doggo love around the neighborhood.
11. When it was time for the newborn to come home from the hospital and meet the cats, the cats weren’t sure what to think at first.
So they gave their owner a wonderful moment of curiosity to remember forever.
12. “My dad and I made some goodie-bags for the homeless and needy near his work,” wrote Reddit user CrimTimberwolf.
“In each of the bags we put two pairs of thick socks, a beanie, gloves, some snacks, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and chapstick.”
13. Some kids have wisdom and kindness beyond their years, like the one who added Skittles to her sibling’s antidepressants because they make her happy.
Well they sure can’t hurt, right? Sweetness squared.
14. “I’m studying in Japan. I hid letters around my home university (MNSU) campus for my friends to find,” wrote Reddit user QuevadoNicholas.
“Letters were placed in July. I’m now tagging them to go find them. No notice. Letters thank them for their friendship and support.”
Best treasure hunt ever.
15. “This stranger heard we were planning for my daughter’s fifth birthday, and volunteered to drop off and set up a commercial bouncy house (that the kids lurved) and he wouldn’t take a cent in payment or let us help,” wrote Reddit user inkjuice. “He just told us to pay it forward.”
There’s nothing quite like the kindness of strangers!
7. This guy volunteered to help out a mom with her hands full, holding her baby so she could have two free hands to fill out some paperwork.
And it looks like it was no real bother to him in the least!
16. A wrong turn on Halloween turned into a very right turn for a couple dressed up as Batman and Catwoman.
What’s better than candy on Halloween? Making a woman’s day on her 90th birthday.
17. This bus driver in India got a wonderful send off from his regular riders on his last working day before retiring.
And it looks like they gave him some gifts, too — what a nice way to thank the bus driver.
18. When comedian Jim Gaffigan was looking for a special way to celebrate his 14th wedding anniversary as his wife dealt with a brain tumor, chef Mario Batali stepped up.
He invited them to his restaurant, Del Posto, and made up a custom soup tasting menu just for them. Talk about a beautiful thing to do.
19. When Reddit user skimmilkskim posted her collection of A Series of Unfortunate Events in hardcover, with one copy being a paperback, another Reddit user sent them their own hardcover copy to complete the set.
Not something they had to do, but certainly a generous thing for them to do.
21. “My cat gets really lonely when I’m out at college or not in the house, so I got her a friend to keep her company,” wrote Reddit user Thicc-pigeon. “She loves him.”
Hey, if the cat’s happy, that’s all that matters.
22. Even though this homeless man wasn’t asking for anything, this guy got him a care package and gave him a hug.
“We just saw him there,” wrote Reddit user BittersweetMadre. “My husband turned into that parking lot and went in the store and got him food, water, chapstick , hand sanitizer and some other things…My daughter was with us and I feel like she learned a lesson that day. She was very involved in deciding what he might need, chapstick was her idea.”
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20. This person found a note on their car letting them know that a kind stranger bailed them out with some pocket change when their meter was about to expire.
Also, how often do you find a positive note on your windshield when you get back to your car?
23. You can’t stop a mom’s Mom instincts, and it was on full display in this wonderfully wholesome text exchange with her family.
And why would you even want to stop a mom’s instincts when they’re so grounded in niceties?
24. Seen in Oregon, someone decided to mix some deciduous trees into this evergreen forest in the shape of a smiley face just for a happy surprise in the fall.
It must have been a long-term plan, but it sure paid off!
