Steve Hartman is a broadcast journalist with CBS News. He is, perhaps, best known for his “On the Road (with Steve Hartman)” segments, which feature good people doing good things for others. I wasn’t surprised to learn that Steve is a graduate of St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio. Helping others to see the good in the world, and encouraging us to make a positive difference in the world by doing good for others, is consistent with a Jesuit education. This past Wednesday evening, I watched a CBS News Special: The Gift: Kindness Goes Viral with Steve Hartman. What an inspirational hour of television!

If you missed the program, click the link above and treat yourself to a masterpiece of broadcast journalism. We don’t need to be told how important it is to be kind, but it does seem that we need to be reminded from time to time.

Every day, without exception, we have opportunities to be kind to others. How easy it is to miss out on many of these opportunities simply because we have not developed a kindness mindset. Bishop Desmond Tutu made it sound quite simple when he wrote, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Sadly, we often convince ourselves that we do not have the power to make a significant difference in the world. While it’s true that most of us will never be recognized for having such a profound impact on civilization that streets, schools, or public buildings will be named after us, we do, as Tutu reminds us, have the ability to affect positive change with those we encounter each day. Even if we make a difference in the life of only one person each day, we are contributing to making our world a better place.

In his CBS Special, Hartman points out that there is a ripple effect to doing good. Some call it the “pay it forward” effect. When we do something good for one person, there’s a very good chance that person will do something good for someone else. Hartman even interviewed a mathematician from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to prove the validity of this claim mathematically. 

In our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our schools or workplaces, we have the power to do kind things for others — simple things, like holding a door open, smiling, or acknowledging the presence of those we encounter as we go about our day. There are countless other opportunities to do even more. I encourage you to take the time to watch Hartman’s CBS Special. I’m confident that you will be motivated to do something good for others.