Scan the top headlines on any given day and if you’re not already depressed, you might soon be. Church abuse scandals, war, terrorism, giant garbage patches floating in the ocean, political rage, the list goes on.

I thought I would try to combat some of the negative effects of the day with a weekly post featuring some act of kindness (random or otherwise). Maybe you’ll look forward to the Thursday post to get a fix of positive energy.

To set this all up, I thought you might enjoy reading this article on achieving happiness. Jesus would approve. In a nutshell, Dr. Tom Muha says (and research has proven) that being kind to others not only helps them, it makes you happier. It makes you feel better about yourself and “can create an upward spiral in which helping others continually feeds your sense of well-being.”

One small note: your act of kindness needs to be “autonomous,” meaning you have to find the initiative within. Taking the garbage out after your mom yelled at you three times to do it probably won’t raise a smile. And remember:

“…when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself…” – Matthew 6:2