Those of you following me on Facebook, will know that I've recently returned from a month silent retreat. Anyone who has done any form of retreat will know it has its moments and some of them are not a lot of fun. I can assure you that after a few weeks with nothing but my own company... ja, no, well, right, you can imagine how that panned out!

In previous retreats, I've had trouble with my car battery going dead, (very inconvenient if you decide to make a run for it in the middle of the night!) So unbeknownst to one of the residents where I was staying, I decided to run the car engine every now and then sommer, just in case. So one rather chilly morning this poor fellow was on his way to the laundry, when he discovered me sitting in my car with the engine running. He was a bit startled and called across to check everything was okay. I gave him the thumbs up and that was that, end of story.

Or not. After two weeks without any human contact, that small act of caring from a stranger was extraordinary. The positive impact of those two words, “Everything okay?” lasted for days. It made me smile and strengthened my resolve to keep going even though the going was pretty tough.

There are many ways to change the world and we underestimate the power our tiny acts of kindness have to make the world a better place. It's the butterfly effect. One small act of kindness can have an impact we never envisioned. A kind word to someone who is having an awful day, a gentle touch to someone in pain, a smile of acknowledgement for an elderly person can strengthen, comfort and make difficulties that little bit more more bearable.

If you pay attention, you'll discover there are countless opportunities every day to make a difference. Looking a beggar or car guard in the eye and wishing him well as you hand over a coin, means more than we can begin to imagine. Listening with your full attention, whether to a child, a friend or a lonely person is a gift we can give any time, any place.

So today, wherever you are and no matter what you have going on in your own life, take a moment to do something wonderful for someone else. Who knows how your random act of kindness will change the world.