Act of kindness #14: Costa’s Dream Team

I popped into my local Costa Coffee this morning for my usual decaf soy flat white.

I usually tend to avoid going in on Friday’s as it’s market day in our town and the cafe is usually really busy and very noisy, and unfortunately busy and noisy are not great friends with CFS.

But as today was the best day for me to go into town, I hoped I could sit outside on one of the three outdoor tables.

And when I arrived, there was one table free… hooray!

There were only two servers working and I was so impressed to see how calm they were under the pressure of a long queue and full cafe, and how well they worked together.

The staff here are always lovely and friendly, and I always enjoy a quick chat with them.

And today was no exception.

When it was my time to be served, they were still big smiles and friendly chat.

As I enjoyed my coffee in tranquility outside, I decided to write them a little message on one of my Kindness Cards to show that they are appreciated.

Thankfully I carry a spare Kindness Card in my bag and I quickly wrote: To the Costa Dream Team, You are both AMAZING Xxx

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As I left, I popped back in to hand them the card, so they could put it where they can see it and be reminded of how much they are appreciated and what a great job they are doing.

☆♡☆

Day 72: A cup of kindness

Being kind by buying a stranger a coffee:

My spirits have taken a battering recently with one thing or another, and so I took myself out for a soul stroll in this morning’s magical mist.

I walked into my local town and stopped at my local coffee shop for my usual, a decaf soy flat white.

Feeling pretty down in the dumps, I decided to reach out and show kindness to a stranger. From the acts of kindness I’ve been doing over the last few months, I know how much they lift my spirits too. And to be honest, this has been an unexpected bonus, it’s like experiencing a wonderful side effect from the kindness act itself.

So today I decided to buy a stranger a coffee.

I paid for the extra coffee and asked the barista to choose a customer who’ll receive the free cup, and give them my kindness card which reads: “You are an incredible person. Enjoy your coffee Xxx”

Kindness Card: Coffee's on me

I instantly felt my spirits lift.

In an article titled “5 Side Effects of Kindness on Health”, kindness author Dr David Hamilton explains why:

“When we do something kind for someone else, we feel good. On a spiritual level, many people feel that this is because it is the right thing to do and so we’re tapping into something deep and profound inside of us that says, ‘This is who I am.’

On a biochemical level, it is believed that the good feeling we get is due to elevated levels of the brain’s natural versions of morphine and heroin, which we know as endogenous opioids. They cause elevated levels of dopamine in the brain and so we get a natural high, often referred to as ‘Helper’s High’.”

So it’s a win-win.

I hope it brings a smile to the face of the recipient on this chilly, misty morning as it has to mine.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being kind by buying a stranger a coffee.

Day 36: Coffee’s on me

Being kind by anonymously paying for a stranger’s coffee:

Yay! Today I got the chance to use another of my Kindness Cards. Feeling well enough to go out for a couple of hours, I walked into my local town for a coffee.

The friendly manager took my order, and I shyly asked if she’d do me a favour. I explained that I’d like to anonymously pay for a customer’s coffee and would like her to pass on one of my Kindness Cards, which on the back I’d written: You are an incredible person. Enjoy your coffee xxx

Kindness Card: Coffee's on me

What I didn’t anticipate, however, was the manager’s response: she was genuinely touched and moved to tears by the gesture.

The crazy thing is that her response made me feel a little uncomfortable.

It made me realise how much easier it is to show kindness to others than it is to accept kindness ourselves. What a learning experience.

She accepted my payment for the coffee along with the Kindness Card and promised to pass it along.

I didn’t stay long enough to see who was given the free coffee, but that was the idea really. I want to give without expectation of getting anything in return.

This is the first time of using my Kindness Cards that involved asking for someone else’s help. Not realising it at the time, it has shown the bountiful benefits of kindness: this one small act has made two, hopefully three, people happy: me, the manager, and, hopefully, the recipient of the free coffee.

So my happy for today is being kind to a stranger by anonymously paying for their coffee.