By Chronicle Books; I changed some of the pronoun language to be more inclusive.

  • ✓ accept and enjoy yourself for who you are
  • ✓ accept that good is good enough
  • ✓ acknowledge others' kindness with a smile or a wave
  • ✓ apologize to someone you've wronged
  • ✓ ask "how are you" and really listen for more than "fine"
  • ✓ ask someone what's bothering them, and then listen
  • ✓ ask your partner about their day, listen
  • ✓ ask your twitter followers or your facebook friends if there's anything you can do to support them right now
  • ✓ bag your own groceries
  • ✓ bake with your kids/family/friends
  • ✓ be happy for somebody and tell them
  • ✓ be honest, especially when the truth is wonderful
  • ✓ be kind to yourself
  • ✓ be mindful of saying "please" and "thank you" and "you're welcome"-- all day long
  • ✓ be on time all day today
  • ✓ be the first to apologize
  • ✓ be understanding and truthful
  • ✓ bring your own bags to the store
  • ✓ buy a nice water bottle, so you're less inclined to buy plastic bottles
  • ✓ buy double the canned goods and donate the extras at a food bank
  • ✓ buy handmade
  • ✓ buy organic
  • ✓ celebrate other people's successes
  • ✓ choose a glass of water instead of another coffee
  • ✓ clean out your sweater drawer and take extras to charity
  • ✓ clean up someone else's mess
  • ✓ commit
  • ✓ compliment a complete stranger
  • ✓ compliment someone's new hair cut or shoes or hat, etc.
  • ✓ cook dinner for your roommate, neighbour, or friend
  • ✓ do a little dance and be silly
  • ✓ do or say something funny that's sure to make a friend laugh
  • ✓ don't eat meat today
  • ✓ draw a portrait of a friend (all the better if you have no drawing skills)
  • ✓ drink eight glasses of water
  • ✓ empty the dishwasher before anyone in your house or office has the chance to ask you to do
  • ✓ encourage somebody
  • ✓ exhale
  • ✓ experiment with a vegan or vegetarian meal
  • ✓ floss
  • ✓ forget everything else and focus on falling asleep
  • ✓ forgive someone for a minor resentment that's been bothering you
  • ✓ foster a kitten or puppy
  • ✓ get a library card
  • ✓ get some exercise
  • ✓ get some fresh air
  • ✓ give someone one piece of constructive criticism
  • ✓ give yourself a pep talk
  • ✓ go for a swim
  • ✓ go to a friend's gallery opening, sports game, poetry reading, play... finally
  • ✓ have a meatless monday
  • ✓ help; don't ignore
  • ✓ hold the door open for someone
  • ✓ hold your tongue
  • ✓ hug your child/friend for no reason at all
  • ✓ invite a friend to a show and buy their ticket
  • ✓ invite someone to join you
  • ✓ keep your promises
  • ✓ laugh louder
  • ✓ learn about a new country or culture
  • ✓ leave a big tip
  • ✓ leave a nice comment, on your friend's blog, facebook wall, or twitter feed
  • ✓ lend someone an article of clothing they've admired
  • ✓ let another car take that parking spot, smile and wave
  • ✓ line-dry your laundry instead of using the dryer
  • ✓ listen
  • ✓ look and listen
  • ✓ look into the eyes of the person you're talking with
  • ✓ look someone in the eyes and thank them sincerely
  • ✓ make a baby laugh
  • ✓ make a handmade card for someone
  • ✓ make a special meal for someone you love
  • ✓ make an effort to mend a rift in a friendship
  • ✓ make art
  • ✓ make someone laugh
  • ✓ meditate for ten minutes
  • ✓ offer to do someone a favor
  • ✓ offer to give your loved one a massage
  • ✓ offer to go on a walk with a stressed friend
  • ✓ offer your car to a friend without wheels
  • ✓ pay attention
  • ✓ play a song you love as loudly as you want
  • ✓ play hooky
  • ✓ pray for others
  • ✓ put yourself first
  • ✓ quote your grandfather
  • ✓ raise your arms high above your head and stretch the biggest stretch you can stretch
  • ✓ read a classic
  • ✓ recognize your coworker or teammate for something difficult or daunting they are working on
  • ✓ recommend your favourite hole-in-the-wall place to get food
  • ✓ recycle
  • ✓ refrain from talking loudly on your cell phone in public
  • ✓ reward yourself
  • ✓ ride your bike
  • ✓ say "I love you" to someone you haven't said it to in a while
  • ✓ say good morning to your coworkers
  • ✓ say hello to a stranger
  • ✓ say yes
  • ✓ see all you can see
  • ✓ send a friend a thank-you note for being a good friend
  • ✓ send a handwritten thank-you note
  • ✓ send an uplifting note to a friend who might need encouragement
  • ✓ set the road rage aside and let someone else merge
  • ✓ share some good news
  • ✓ smile at a stranger
  • ✓ smile at kids or give them a silly face to distract them and give their parents a moment of reprieve
  • ✓ smile when you talk on the phone, it makes your voice friendly
  • ✓ spell-check and proofread before you send
  • ✓ spend no money today
  • ✓ start a birthday calendar to help you remember when to mail cards
  • ✓ start a list of books you'd like to read for fun
  • ✓ stop and look around
  • ✓ stop obsessing over someone's who's wronged you
  • ✓ strike up a conversation with the person working the cash register
  • ✓ swap life stories with someone you don't know very well
  • ✓ take a deep breath, now take two more, repeat
  • ✓ take a long bath
  • ✓ take a sibling out to a movie
  • ✓ take a walk, looking as far into the distance as possible
  • ✓ take out the garbage, without being asked
  • ✓ talk about what you're grateful for
  • ✓ teach someone something about another culture
  • ✓ tell a friend they're beautiful
  • ✓ tell a friend why they mean the world to you
  • ✓ tell a joke
  • ✓ tell a stranger their child is beautiful
  • ✓ tell someone they are appreciated
  • ✓ tell someone they have beautiful eyes
  • ✓ tell the people you love "I love you"
  • ✓ tell your parents you love them and appreciate them
  • ✓ tip your barista
  • ✓ treat yourself
  • ✓ tuck your sweetheart in
  • ✓ turn off your cell phone
  • ✓ turn your telephone ringer off and appreciate some uninterrupted moments
  • ✓ unplug all the appliances in your house that aren't being used
  • ✓ use a funny word, like "wackadoodle" or "lollygag"
  • ✓ visit a community garden
  • ✓ visit your local library
  • ✓ wait a beat before responding
  • ✓ wake up thirty minutes earlier and get some exercise
  • ✓ watch a classic movie you've always wanted to see
  • ✓ watch the movie that your significant other wants to watch
  • ✓ wave hello at a four-way stop, yielding to the other person
  • ✓ when someone does or says something rude or offensive, assume they are having a bad day and respond with compassion
  • ✓ when you are inspired to say something nice, say it
  • ✓ wish your cashier a good day
  • ✓ withhold judgment until the end of the sentence
  • ✓ write a letter to your future self and stash it away to discover later
  • ✓ write a list of things you're grateful for
  • ✓ write a nice little note on the check to your server
  • ✓ write a poem for someone
  • accept a new friend's invitation
  • add a few plants to your bedroom
  • add a reminder to vote in your calendar
  • add money to an expired meter
  • allow everyone else to go first, all day
  • ask a friend who seems down to go for a walk
  • ask your grandparents about favourite trips they've taken or places they've lived
  • ask your mother for one of her favourite recipes
  • ask your partner about what they want to conquer next
  • bake your favourite kind of cookies and share
  • be a gentlehuman
  • be a mentor
  • be quick to apologize
  • become an organ donor
  • befriend someone new
  • bless your interruptions as an opportunity to take a deep breath and smile
  • borrow someone's car and get it cleaned
  • brew the next pot of coffee at work or home
  • bring extra coupons to the store and share
  • bring your coworker a coffee
  • bring your neighbour's newspaper to their doorstep
  • buy a box of thank-you notes and birthday cards so you're always ready to mark an occasion
  • buy a bunch of flowers on your way to work, give each one to a colleague you appreciate
  • buy a coffee for the person behind you in line
  • buy a plant for your desk
  • buy a present for a friend's beloved pet
  • buy lunch for a homeless person
  • buy someone an ice cream cone
  • buy two books-- one for you and one for a friend
  • call someone and tell them you were thinking about them
  • call someone in your family just to tell them that you're thinking about them
  • call your busiest friend and insist on helping with one thing they need to get done
  • call your mother and tell her something you loved about being her kid
  • carpool
  • carry a bunch of balloons, watch heads turn
  • carry a safety pin in your bag-- someone will be so grateful you have one
  • change your lightbulbs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs
  • choose the longer walk home
  • close your ears to gossip this week
  • compliment someone over seventy
  • create a scrapbook of memories for your family or friends
  • deliver something small and sweet to everyone on your team-- midafternoon when everyone's energy wans
  • designate yourself an ambassador to your town and vow to offer directions to anyone who looks a little lost
  • don't double-book yourself
  • don't interrupt anyone today
  • don't take offense
  • donate a little bit of money to aid disaster-relief work somewhere in the world
  • donate blood
  • donate books to a local school or university
  • donate old eyeglasses
  • donate to a charity that benefits animals or children
  • donate your ponytail after a haircut
  • draw a hopscotch grid on the sidewalk and watch how people will enjoy feeling like kids again
  • dress fancy or with a flourish today, turn heads
  • drop a meal off at a sick friend's house
  • eat your next meal in silence (away from the computer)
  • encourage a colleague to take some much-needed time off
  • establish a tradition
  • establish an emergency plan with your family or friends
  • figure out how to print double-sided
  • fill the printer with paper so it won't run out on the next person
  • find a book on tape or a podcast that will amuse you while you commute
  • find out how your dad proposed to your mom
  • find two days this year when you can donate your time
  • find ways to help others avoid embarrassment
  • frame a family photo and hang it on your wall
  • give a homeless person a clean blanket
  • give an anonymous donation to a person or family in need
  • give credit wherever you can
  • give money to a street performer
  • give people the benefit of the doubt
  • give someone a wink
  • give up your seat on the bus or train for someone who seems tired
  • go out for coffee with a coworker you don't know well
  • go to an independent movie, bookstore, or business
  • hang a bird feeder to support the local avian population
  • have a glass of wine ready for your spouse whenever they arrive home from work
  • have a lights-free day, complete with candles at night
  • hide some money in the pocket of a coat that's for sale
  • hold the elevator door, even if it will delay you
  • if you're thinking about donating money, ask a friend to contribute and increase the impact
  • instead of ignoring someone's pain because you don't know what to say, send a small gift card
  • invite a friend to dinner, then bring it to them at their house, then clean up
  • invite an acquaintance out for coffee
  • invite your neighbour to dinner
  • join a team
  • join or start a community garden
  • kiss the cook
  • knit or sew a gift for a new baby
  • learn how to change a tire so you can do it yourself or someday help out a stranger in need
  • learn how to say "thank you" in other languages so you can thank people in their native tongues
  • learn your local barista's name and use it
  • leave a bookmark in a book you've borrowed
  • leave a bunch of extra change near the jukebox, at the laundromat, or by the vending machine
  • leave a favourite book on a bus or train seat for the next passenger to enjoy
  • leave a treat on your coworker's desk
  • leave an umbrella in a public place for someone to use
  • leave flowers for a stranger
  • leave flowers on the statue of someone you admire
  • leave some homemade cookies at your neighbours door
  • leave someone a handwritten note to "have a good day"
  • leave your change in the vending machine for the next person
  • leave your mail carrier a thank-you note for delivering your mail every day
  • let a stranger know if a button is undone or has something in their teeth
  • let it go
  • listen to a radio program while doing nothing else at the same time
  • listen to a solicitor's whole pitch, even if you're planning to say "no"
  • listen to your heart
  • mail homemade cookies to a friend
  • make a donation to a friend's favourite charity in their name
  • make a really fancy and complicated dessert and send it to a friend as a surprise
  • make a special treat for a friend with food allergies
  • make signs for the trash, recycling, and compost so it's clear what goes where
  • make time to visit an art museum
  • make up a story and tell it to a young person in your life
  • make up your own family holiday to celebrate
  • master a family recipe
  • mow your neighbours grass along with your own
  • offer a glass of water to the meter reader, appliance repairman, or delivery person at your home
  • offer to babysit so new parents can go out to dinner
  • offer up a foot rub
  • offer your respects, always
  • organize a clothing swap
  • pack a spontaneous picnic and go outside with your family
  • pack extra lunch for a coworker
  • pay for a strangers meal at a restaurant
  • pay for someone behind you at the lunch counter
  • pay for the car behind you at the toll booth
  • pick up the tab
  • plan a birthday party for a friend, make it memorable
  • plan a party, invite someone new
  • plant a seed
  • plant flowers where someone else will enjoy them
  • play freeze dance
  • prank call a friend when you know they are bored
  • print and frame a good picture you've taken of someone and give it to them
  • propose a game
  • push the boundaries
  • put a little cash in your savings account
  • put a love note in a loved one's lunch
  • read more about a cause you are interested in
  • record a message or video and send it to one of your grandparents
  • return a long-overdue phone call
  • return all of the items you take to the dressing room to their original spots instead of leaving them in the dressing room
  • return that book, movie, or dish you borrowed from a friend... three years ago
  • run a little fundraiser for someone who is struggling with an expense
  • say "gesundheit" when a stranger sneezes
  • say a blessing out loud for one thing you're grateful for
  • say hello to strangers, especially the elderly
  • say something nice to someone who has wronged you
  • schedule your annual physical
  • scroll through your phone and call the person you've known the longest
  • send a card and seeds to a neighbour whose garden you admire
  • send a card to a coach or boss to whom you are grateful
  • send a friend a beloved book from your shelf
  • send a note to a favourite teacher telling them the best thing they taught you
  • send a sibling a reminder of childhood
  • send one of your grandparents a photograph
  • send your mom flowers for no reason
  • serve food at a food bank
  • set high expectations
  • share a family recipe
  • shovel the snow off your neighbours porch
  • sign up for a run or walk that supports a special cause
  • smile at a meter maid
  • sneak a note into a friend's bag, wallet, or drawer for them to discover later
  • sneak over to a friend's house and plant bulbs to surprise them next spring
  • stand on a corner with a sign that says "you are perfect"
  • start a composing program at your building, school, or home
  • start a family tree
  • start a recycling program at your building, home, or school
  • stop and pet a dog and say hello to the owner
  • stop swearing
  • take a yoga class
  • take an unpopular stand for something you believe in
  • take off your cranky pants
  • take your dad out for lunch
  • take your grandmother out for a fancy cocktail
  • take your neighbours trash bins in off the curb
  • take your partner out to lunch on a workday
  • tape a coupon to a product at the store
  • teach a child five new words
  • teach a kid a funny joke
  • teach someone one of your skills
  • tell a family member why you appreciate them
  • tell a relative what you admire about them
  • tell a stranger they are being a good parent
  • tell parents when their kids seem well behaved or smart or nice
  • tell the story of the person you are named after
  • tell your colleague they are brilliant
  • tell your dad about something you're so glad he taught you
  • tell your dad your favourite memory of him
  • tell your dentist you appreciate them
  • tell your mom one thing she's always done right
  • tell your mom your favourite memory of her
  • tend to an elderly neighbour's garden
  • thank someone for something you usually take for granted
  • thank your bus driver for delivering you safely to your destination
  • thank your trash collectors and tell them they're doing a good job
  • think big, and then think bigger
  • tuck an origami heart into the windowsill of a bus for someone to find later
  • visit an animal shelter
  • volunteer
  • volunteer at an elder care facility
  • volunteer to read books to little kids
  • walk around your block and pick up some trash
  • wear something your mother gave you, even if you hate it
  • write a letter to a politician about something they are doing right
  • write a letter to an author you admire
  • write a letter to someone who has changed your life and might not even know it
  • write a postcard to a long-lost friend
  • write a song for someone
  • write down everything on your mind, take a step back so you can get a fresh look
jul 4 2013 ∞
nov 9 2013 +