I recently ran the 20k of Brussels, one of Belgium’s most iconic and popular running events. This year, more than 40k runners lined up at the start. The fact that it has become so popular also has its issues. There aren't enough spots for all those who want to participate. So while in the past you had time to decide whether you'd register, this year, you had to be in front of a device when registrations opened. Just like popular festivals, you need to wait in a queue (with several devices to increase chances) and hope you get lucky to get in to register. Two friends and I were, but another friend was still in the queue when registrations closed.
Coincidentally, a protein yoghurt brand held a competition to win 2 entry tickets. While I'm not much of a winner in such competitions, I participated anyway. Especially as I can now use email aliases, safeguarding me from future spam.
And guess what, I won.
One ticket was for my friend, but I had no clue what to do with the second. That changed when I went to the running store, getting new gear. While waiting, another customer was talking about the event and how he wanted to participate once more. I jumped into the conversation and offered my second ticket. "Do you want to run the event?" He was puzzled at first, but accepted after a short chat. We exchanged contact details, and that was that. He got his ticket and ran the event.
You might wonder why I'm only bringing this up now. Well, I recently had a nice conversation with John after the event. Not only about the event and running in general, but also about the fact that I offered him a ticket while I didn't know him.
It still makes me smile that we do things for each other just because we can.
It was a small gesture, but one with a huge impact. It not only made John happy; it gave me a good feeling too. And that got me thinking: How often do we let these moments slip by?
In a world where kindness can feel rare, these small acts matter more than we realise. Not only for others but for ourselves as well. And let's not do it for praise, but because it's the right thing to do.