ACTS OF KINDNESS BRING HAPPINESS

Once two friends took off for a walk. They were so engrossed in chatting with each other that they did not realize when they reached a field. The sun was shining over their heads, and so they thought of taking a break. They found shelter under a banyan tree. As they sat under the tree, they noticed that there was a neatly folded stack of clothes and a pair of shoes carefully resting over a stone. As they looked around, they saw a man toiling in the farm.
The younger boy thought of a mischief and said to his friend, "Let’s hide the clothes of this man behind the bush. When he comes to search for them, the expression he would have would be priceless."
The older boy looked at the clothes and said to the younger one,
"The man seems to be poor. Look at his clothes. They are torn. I have an idea. We will hide his shoes and put a silver coin in each shoe. When he discovers those, his expression will be priceless."
The younger fellow liked the idea. So they together hid the man's shoes in the bush behind and placed a silver coin in each one of them.Since they wanted to capture the priceless expressions of the man, they hid behind another bush.
After a while, the man came, changed his clothes and noticed that his shoes were in the bush. As he slid his feet in one shoe, he felt something between his toes. He bent and saw that it was a silver coin. He looked around and saw if someone had put the coin in his shoe. When he could not see anyone, he slid his second feet in the other shoe and again found a coin. He was pleasantly shocked to see another coin and could not believe his eyes.
The two boys were observing all this from behind the bush.
Thinking that he was alone, holding both the coins in his hands, the man started crying. They were tears of relief and gratitude.
Next, he knelt on his knees, and said a prayer in a loud voice.
"Thank you God for this, and please bless the person who put the silver coins in my shoes! Now I can sell these coins and treat my wife who is in the hospital and feed my children who have not put even a morsel in their mouth since last evening."Saying this he hurriedly got up and rushed towards his home.
After the man left, the two boys came out from their hiding and slowly walked back towards their home. They did not speak to each other as they were savoring the priceless expression they had just seen. They felt very happy at having been kind to someone they did not even know. There was a smile on their faces and their souls danced with happiness.
"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see," said Mark Twain.

There is a popular saying, "Bees live in hives, and humans live in tribes." We humans are designed to live in a community, and it is one of our prime responsibilities to help each other grow. Living together also calls for an important virtue, which is kindness.
Being kind to others has a boomerang effect. Research has shown that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain and boosts happiness for us as well as the people we are kind to. Kindness builds trust,and induces a sense of safety within the community.It increases co-operation as every person who receives kindness likes to pass it on. Kindness is contagious. So, imagine if you are kind to a person, and that person is kind to another who in turn is kind to another, what a beautiful and happy place this world will be to live in!
Kindness is a primary trait of humans. We get many opportunities to be kind throughout the day. Just helping someone in need, without being selfish and judgmental is an act of kindness.
A small boy was walking along a beach. It was a low tide and numerous starfish had been washed up on the beach, stranded and doomed to perish. The small boy picked each fish and took them back to water. A man was watching the boy do this. He went near the boy and said, "I can see you're very kind. But there must be thousands of them; it can't possibly make any difference."
Returning from the water's edge, the boy said, "It will for that one." Simple things like offering your seat in the train to a person who needs it more than you, expressing gratitude to someone who helped you, doing something to make others happy, appreciating others for their good deeds, are very simple acts of kindness that you can do. These small things you do for others will not only make you and the other person happy but will also help create a bond between the two of you.
We are also bound by the law of karma. It says that whatever we give comes back to us manifold. By being kind to others we only invite positive things in our lives. Being kind to others is an instant solution to feel good about ourselves. Let’s be happy and spread happiness.
Reflections:-
Kindness is one of the most fundamental virtues every human should practice. Tbis includes kindness towards every living being. It has a rebounding effect. Being kind attracts love, prosperity and good health in our lives.
Simple Step to Happiness
Be the kindest person you ever know. One of the many regrets that we have on our deathbed is that I was not kind enough.Let’s consciously practice at least one act of kindness every day and integrate it into our  lives.
Happiness Mantra:
Just for today, I will be the kindest.