Doing good deeds can be something contagious. And Lord do we need some beautiful contagion right about now. Pay it forward shouldn't just be an idea, it should be a way of life. Committing even the smallest act of kindness for someone, whether they are a loved one or a stranger, can change the course of so many lives. Being kind is a domino effect, a really great one. So pay for a coffee, hold a door... or just smile.
Redditor u/emceeizzy wanted everyone to fess up to the goodwill they've spread that they've also kept quiet about, by asking.... What's the nicest thing you've ever done for someone secretly?Air for you....
cars shot GIFGiphyWhile working hotel security I often put air in very low tires of guests vehicles in the parking lot.
That's such a nice thing to do! Nothing worse than coming out all set for your day and you have to deal with a low or flat tire!
Those 3....
I saw a lady struggling with 3 children in a grocery store. She showed great love to the 3 even though they were giving her a hard time. I eavesdropped enough to learn that she couldn't afford half the stuff, if any, she was putting in her cart. She was so loving to those kids. Every word she said to them was soft and kind.
I knew the manager of the store very well. I went to them and told them about that lady. I then pointed her out discreetly. I gave the manager two hundred dollars and asked them to give it to the lady. I often wonder how things worked out for her in life.
Paul Young
I have an unusual first name. Many years ago I got a signed photo from 1980s pop star Paul Young. I was having a clear out and so I googled someone with the same name as me. It wasn't easy but I found someone who was, fortunately, an academic at a university here in England. I posted the photo to him at his uni. Hope he liked it.
Merry Christmas
merry christmas GIFGiphyWhen I was a kid (probably 12 or 13), I gave up my Christmas presents for a friend. I grew up upper middle class, not rich, but we were comfortable. My best friend wasn't as fortunate as I was.
One year when my mom asked what I wanted for Christmas, I told her I didn't want anything and instead to give the money she would have spent to my friend's parents. She bought a Walmart gift card (or something similar) and left it in their mail box. To my knowledge, my friend never knew this happened and I would never bring it up. I'd be willing to guess his parents knew the money came from us, but not the circumstances surrounding it.
I accidentally discovered.....
I had an acquaintance whose reddit account, I accidentally discovered. There she had a confession post of how lonely, friendless and depressed she was and how she used to cry to sleep. For the months following, I would try to talk her to sleep online so that she won't feel lonely or cry. Most of the time, I ended up sleeping first though lol. I introduced her to online gaming and used to play a lot with her. I tried to support her to be herself more and be more open. We are not friends anymore but I hope she is happy and doing better.
4 years straight...
Every day I used to walk past this old guys house walking home from high school. I read about old age and depression so I figured I'd be nice. I went and looked after his front yard (all overgrown) i planted flowers etc.
I would successfully do it for 4 years straight and one time he caught me and thanked me and told me about how his wife died and how he had no family etc.
Now in collage, the man died and I was lucky enough to go to his funeral. His lawyer told me that he left most of his estate to me. (Wasn't much but for me growing up poor it was everything)
It was a lesson to me about positive karma and to pay it forward. Answering any questions in the comments.
"Oh my god, who left this here?"
They stole 350€ and a phone from the dog shelter a few months ago, that all the money they had to feed the dogs for an entire month so they had to pay from their own pocket (which they couldn't because their job doesn't pay and so they has to skip meals because of it). So I bought a 250€ brand new Samsung Galaxy A30s, put it in a box with another 350€ in it, went there to do some voluntary work like I always do and left the box in their office and put a note on it saying "For the doggies at Akira", a few minutes later I heard a "Oh my god, who left this here?" And I was just saying "I don't know, it was there when I arrived"
Now the donations have to be supervised so I have to say this is a donation and sign a paper so I can't do secret donations anymore. I think that I've donated around 700€ there even tho I rarely earn money and I was planning to go on a little vacation, but the doggies are more important.
Being a Mover....
friends moving GIFGiphyNot per se secretly, at least I didn't mean it to be a secret, but:
Was at a friend's birthday party. Friend lived on the fourth floor, no elevator. New neighbors were moving in right under his apartment on the third floor.
I smoke, but I won't do it inside a non-smoker's home (that's just rude), so every time I wanted to smoke, I had to go down the stairs and smoke outside the front door, which was fine.
Every time I walked back up, I took a bag or a small piece of furniture of the new neighbor's stuff with me and placed it beside their door.
Add More....
When I was in high school I have some friends who cannot afford to textbooks. Their parents were farmers and they do not do well. So I gave my saved money to my homeroom teacher to buy them books and never speak about this. If I directly give books to them they may feel bad. Having get books from your teacher or from your classmates makes difference I believe. My teacher add more money to my money and buy-give them in other students in need I do not know.
Good Luck Mate....
Morgan Freeman Good Luck GIFGiphyNot really secretly, but spur of the moment. Few years ago I had swung by the grocery store to pick up a couple things after a long day, it was nearing 10pm the store was fixing to close.
So, there was only one checker open, and an older gentleman with a cart full of groceries ahead of me. After what felt like an eternity, his credit cards were being declined. And i overheard him tell the check he didn't have enough cash on him to pay for everything, so just before they were going to sort his groceries I spoke up to add it to my tab and ill pay. He was dumbfounded and nearly in tears. We shook hands and exchanged names. Never saw him again, i hope he landed on his feet.
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Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.