Be the Reason Someone Has a Better Day

Lagos, Portugal

When Carla and I first began our extended travels through Europe, one of the first places we visited was Lagos, Portugal, in the Algarve. The town itself is charming, but it was the coastline that truly stole our hearts, with its golden cliffs rising above the ocean and its caves and arches shaped over millions of years by wind and water. It’s one of those places that reminds you nature is still the greatest artist.

The woman who inspired this blog post.

One morning, while we were out for a walk along the coastal promenade, I noticed a young couple about twenty feet ahead of us. The woman had colorful woven strands in her hair, and in the morning light, they were beautiful. As she walked, they caught the sun and moved like a small rainbow spilling down from her head. Her brightly colored dress moved with her, and the colorful shoulder bag at her side seemed to add even more life to the scene. Somehow, all those colors came together in this beautiful, moving kaleidoscope. She looked like a walking piece of art, and it was a delight to see.

I wanted to say something to her. I wanted to tell her that she had given me this unexpected little moment of beauty. But I also felt awkward. After all, I knew it might feel a little odd to be stopped by someone who had been walking behind her, only to be told he’d been admiring her hair. Fortunately, Carla was with me, and the woman was walking with her boyfriend, so at least it felt a little less uncomfortable.

Eventually, they stopped, which gave me the perfect little opening, and we stopped too. Without overthinking it any more than I already had, I told her how beautiful her hair was, especially in that morning light, and how much I had enjoyed seeing it as we walked. I wasn’t sure how she would take it, but I found some comfort in knowing my words were meant kindly and offered only as a compliment. I wasn’t trying to intrude. I just wanted her to know that something beautiful about her had brightened my morning.

As soon as I said it, her face lit up. She was warm and kind and genuinely delighted. I told her I saw her hair as art, because that’s exactly how it felt to me, and I think she felt truly seen. She had offered something of herself to the world, and someone had noticed. The four of us ended up talking for a while, and it became one of those little travel encounters that has stayed with me.

San Miguel, Mexico

That small exchange shifted something in me. It made me realize how much of travel is made up of these passing moments with people we don’t know and may never see again. We cross paths with strangers for a few seconds, a few minutes, or maybe one short conversation, and then we each go on with our lives. But those moments are still real. They leave something behind.

I think many of us wait until we know someone before we say the kind words we’re thinking. Or at least until we feel familiar enough that it doesn’t seem awkward. But when you’re on the road the way we are, that kind of familiarity usually doesn’t have time to develop. Most of our interactions come and go quickly.

So I’ve come to believe that if someone’s presence, kindness, creativity, or spirit brings something good into my day, I shouldn’t just notice it and smile to myself. I should let that person know. Why not take the small risk and say what moved me? Why not let them know that something they brought into the world made my day a little better?

Prague, Czech Republic

And it’s so easy to do the opposite. It’s so easy to notice what bothers us. I don’t even think we’re always aware of how naturally we do it. Something isn’t quite right, and we notice. Something could have been done better, and we say so. A person makes a mistake, a restaurant is slow, a driver is careless, a stranger is rude, and suddenly we have plenty to say.

Of course, sometimes things do need to be said. I’m not suggesting we walk through life pretending everything is fine when it isn’t. There is a place for honesty, for thoughtful criticism, and for speaking truthfully about what needs our attention.

But I do wonder if we’ve gotten too used to seeing what’s missing before we see what’s beautiful. We live in a world that often rewards us for pointing out what needs fixing. We can sound smart, informed, and thoughtful when we call out the problem, the hypocrisy, or the thing that should have been better. And yes, there are times when that needs to be done.

Corfu, Greece

But I also believe we can choose a better way to move through the world. Most of us already know this in our hearts. We can practice noticing what is beautiful and good. We can choose to say the kind thing as naturally as we sometimes say the critical one.

Because people need that. We all do. Most of us are carrying things other people know nothing about. Someone may look perfectly fine on the outside, but that doesn’t mean their day has been easy. They may be worried, lonely, grieving, overwhelmed, or just worn out in ways we can’t see. And then, out of nowhere, someone says something kind.

“You have such a warm smile.”

“That color looks beautiful on you.”

“You were so helpful. Thank you.”

“I appreciate how much care you put into that.”

Chania, Greece

Something like that may take only five seconds to say, but we never really know how long it might stay with someone. It could be the one kind thing they hear all day. It could soften a hard morning or remind them, right when they need it, that someone noticed.

And why not say it? That is the question I keep coming back to. Why not say the kind thing?

We don’t have to know someone well to offer kindness. In many cases, we don’t have to know them at all. A sincere compliment, offered with warmth and respect, can soften that small distance between strangers and remind both people that we are human beings sharing the same world.

San Miguel, Mexico

I think we sometimes hold back because we’re afraid it will feel awkward. I know that’s how I felt before I told the young woman how beautiful her hair was. Maybe we assume people already know. Maybe we wonder if it’s really our place to say something. But most of the time, a kind word offered simply and honestly is not intrusive. It’s a gift.

And it doesn’t have to be about appearance. Often, the most meaningful things we can say are about the qualities we notice in people: their patience, their warmth, their calm presence, their generosity, or the care they put into what they do.

Those words can reach deeper than we imagine. So many people move through life wondering if what they do matters, if anyone notices, or if the care they put into things is seen. And then, sometimes, someone does notice and takes the time to say so. When that happens, it can change the whole feeling of a day. It can remind someone that they matter.

Budva, Montenegro

I know some people might say this is a small thing. In a world with so much suffering, it can be easy to wonder how much difference a compliment, a kind word, a smile, or a little encouragement can really make.

But I don’t think it’s small. I think the tone of the world is shaped by moments like these. It’s shaped by the way we speak to the person behind the counter, whether we thank someone with real feeling or barely look up, and whether we make people feel like interruptions or like human beings.

Our words matter. They can make someone feel diminished, or help them stand a little taller. They can add to the weight people are already carrying, or help make that weight a little lighter.

Sayulita, Mexico

And I’m not writing this as someone who always gets it right. I don’t. I can be impatient and critical, and I can notice what’s missing before I notice what’s good. But I’m trying to become more aware of that. I’m trying to ask a better question. Not only, “What needs attention here?” but also, “What is good here, and have I said so?”

That second question can change how we move through a day. It makes us look at the world a little differently. It helps us notice kindness, beauty, effort, humor, patience, courage, and care. It reminds us that life is not only a series of problems to be corrected. It is also a series of moments in which we can encourage one another and remind one another that we are not invisible.

Imagine if someone you encountered today felt a little better because of something you said. Maybe they smile on the way home because of you. Maybe, later in the day, they remember your voice, not because you said something grand or profound, but because you noticed something in them. You noticed their effort. You noticed their kindness. You noticed the simple fact that they were trying. And for someone who needed to hear it, that can mean more than we know.

Corfu, Greece

We may not be able to fix the whole world in a day, or heal every wound, or soften every harshness around us. But we can make the space right around us a little more loving. We can help the person in front of us feel seen, and we can choose words that lift rather than weigh down

So when the moment feels right, say the kind thing. Thank the person who helped you. Compliment the stranger whose joy touched you. Let people know when their presence, their effort, their kindness, or their creativity has reached you. Don’t assume they already know. Don’t wait for a special occasion. Don’t underestimate the power of a few generous words offered at the right moment.

You just might be the reason someone has a better day. And if you can, be that reason again tomorrow.