Being kind means being aware. Look around. There are other people on this earth besides you. Think about them as you move about your day and always be thinking about the small things you can do that will make their lives better. Lend a helping hand or a word of thanks or encouragement if you can.

Here are the 100 ways to help yourself by helping others

1. Volunteer during a community clean-up day.
2. Be a blood donor.
3. Be a good, sincere, and patient listener.
4. Donate the clothes and shoes you never wear knowing someone will appreciate them.
5. Visit or volunteer at a local homeless shelter and try to increase just one person’s self-worth.
6. Sign up to make well-check calls at a senior center – then maybe visit those people who have no one to look in on them.
7. Give your kids your undivided attention.
8. Be kind to all animals.
9. Donate dog or cat food to the local pet shelter – and maybe even take along some homemade cookies for shelter volunteers.
10. Take donuts and coffee to a local hospice for the angels who work there.
11. Rescue the baby spider from the tub before turning on the water.
12. Leave a tip for housekeeping.
13. Let others cut in front of you in traffic.
14. Recycle plastics, bottles, and paper.
15. Help clean up or do dishes after a private party.
16. Say thank you to people who rarely get thanked – the bathroom attendant, the policeman directing traffic, the toll booth attendant.
17. Offer food and shelter to feral pets – or call a local rescue to save them.
18. Volunteer at the pound to give the caged creatures some love and attention.
19. Visit people who get no visitors at long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and mental health facilities.
20. Volunteer at an office on aging, an inner-city church, or shelters for the homeless, to drive people to the doctor or the store.
21. Every day, think about all the ways in which you are luckier than others.
22. Be a happy person; be someone people want to be around.
23. Teach your children to be kind to those who are less fortunate — one birthday gift for you, one to donate.
24. Congratulate relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers when they do something courageous or difficult.
25. Say “I love you” or “I miss you” to people you love or miss.
26. Live your life the way you would want to be remembered.
27. Buy less bottled water, Styrofoam plates, plastic silverware. Use a refillable water bottle and dinnerware that can be re-used.
28. If you must buy something in plastic or excessive packaging, recycle it.
29. Take reusable bags to the grocery store, so you don’t have to decide between paper or plastic.
30. When at the beach or out in nature anywhere, leave no footprint. Pick up trash even if it’s not yours.
31. Before throwing away good food, put it in the freezer for later. You’ll be surprised at how many things are freezable, better yet, offer your extras to a friend or neighbor.
32. Park your car away from sidewalks and other places that might impede pedestrians.
33. If you cycle, use bike lanes when available; if not, give pedestrians the right-of-way on sidewalks.
34. Shop locally; support your local merchants.
35. Before taking the last piece of anything, ask if anyone else wants it.
36. Clean up your mess, so others don’t have to.
37. Think before saying things that others may find hateful or mean.
38. Never make fun of anyone for anything.
39. Be tolerant of all religious beliefs and colors of skin.
40. Always remember you don’t know all the details surrounding an action someone else is taking.
41. There are times when you must mind your own business.
42. Carry non-perishable snacks in your car that you can give to homeless people holding “I’m hungry” signs on street corners.
43. Be a generous tipper – and not just at restaurants. That extra dollar means little to you but a lot to others.
44. Listen to the opinions of others before making a judgment.
45. Help a friend put together a resume to find a job.
46. Share your computer knowledge with those who have challenges understanding technology.
47. Push grocery carts back to store instead of leaving them in the middle of the parking lot.
48. Acknowledge people no one else does — the mentally challenged grocery bagger, the 500-pound man in a motorized cart, the person next to you on the bus.
49. Talk to the cleaning staff at work. They see you; you should see them.
50. Be tolerant of screaming children on airplanes – be tolerant of children in general.
51. Let the person with an armful of groceries go in front of you in line.
52. When the light turns green, give the car ahead of you some time, before honking.
53. Answer texts and emails as soon as possible.
54. Allow oncoming vehicles access to the road ahead of you.
55. Let pedestrians and bicyclists go ahead of you.
56. Never, ever litter – and that includes throwing cigarette butts and other small items out a car window.
57. Offer to lend a hand if someone is struggling with a piece of luggage or any large item.
58. If you’re tall, reach up to help someone; if you’re flexible, bend down to help someone.
59. Offer to help a neighbor with yard work.
60. Let children or short people stand in front of you at entertainment events.
61. Deliver meals on wheels – and add a little surprise of your own if and when you are able.
62. Help people with dementia during painting or other classes at a nursing home; listen to what they are saying and talk to them.
63. Be a courteous highway driver; move over for faster cars and maintain a clear distance, so you aren’t always riding the brake.
64. Take your dog for a walk every day and let him explore and smell the world.
65. Volunteer to foster a kitten born to a feral mother cat. Foster or train a future support dog.
66. Cut down on meat consumption; there are plenty of ways to get protein without eating meat.
67. Abide by fishing regulations, catch only in season and only within the limit.
68. Ask yourself if you want to be the kind of person who kills animals for sport.
69. Try not to take out your frustrations on the person who answers the phone when you make a complaint call. Be aware that the person on the phone is just a conduit to a person who has the power to affect change.
70. Offer to carry a heavy package to the car for someone who could use the help.
71. Give directions to someone who is lost.
72. Find something that’s not yours? Turn it in.
73. Make sure your driver’s license says you are an organ donor. If not, register here with Recyclelife.org.
74. When someone is kind enough to perform a task, be grateful instead of redoing it your way.
75. Offer your assistance to someone in a wheelchair.
76. Pick up after your dog.
77. Run up a flight of stairs to get something for someone who is unable to do so.
78. Volunteer to tutor kids who need help in areas that you’re strong in.
79. Give the books you have already read to the library, a nursing home or the Salvation Army or Goodwill.
80. Offer to pick up your friend’s tab at a restaurant.
81. Call your mom, your dad or your grandparents just to say hi.
82. Help build a home for Habitat for Humanity.
83. Play a game with the neighborhood kids.
84. When you mow your lawn, mow the elderly neighbor’s too.
85. Give away seedlings and cuttings from your yard. Take bouquets of flowers to shut-in neighbors.
86. Before complaining about something, try to find a solution. Be a problem solver.
87. Offer to babysit the children of your friends who are overwhelmed or single parents.
88. Watch your neighbor’s dog or keep an eye on their house when they are away.
89. Maintain civility on the Internet.
90. Take a meal to a friend who just lost a loved one (pets count, too).
91. Make someone laugh.
92. Offer cold drinks to people working outside in the heat, and hot drinks to those working outside in the cold.
93. Give away the stuffed animals you win at an amusement park or fair or game room to the wide-eyed children looking on.
94. Buy something out of a vending machine and leave it there.
95. Give up your seat on a bus or subway.
96. Compliment a stranger.
97. Put coins in an expired parking meter next to you.
98. Do a chore without being asked.
99. Leave a kind note – with a gift card if you can afford it – for your mailman and trash collector.
100. Talk to the person who appears lonely at any gathering.