I receive kindness every day. I love to smile when I'm out and

Eddie the Eagle, the unlikely hero who soared into the hearts of millions, once said: “I receive kindness every day. I love to smile when I’m out and about, and if someone smiles back, which happens about half the time, I think that’s an act of kindness every couple of minutes in my day.” In these humble words lies a deep and radiant truth: that life’s greatest treasures are often not found in grand victories, but in the small exchanges of humanity that sustain the spirit. The smile, fleeting though it may be, becomes an offering, a gift, and a reminder that we are not alone.

The ancients too revered such gestures. In the marketplaces of Athens, it was said that a kind word or glance could soften disputes before they hardened into conflict. The Roman poet Ovid wrote that “a face that smiles is the fairest of gifts,” for he knew that such expressions bind the hearts of strangers and create fellowship where none existed before. Eddie’s reflection belongs to this same wisdom: that in the smallest gestures—an answered smile, a fleeting kindness—the soul finds nourishment as surely as the body finds bread.

Consider the life of Abraham Lincoln, who bore the crushing weight of civil war. It is said that, despite his sorrows, he often greeted soldiers, clerks, and even strangers with a gentle smile, and when that smile was returned, it gave him strength to continue. In such exchanges, brief as lightning yet powerful as thunder, Lincoln found solace. So too does Eddie the Eagle, who knows that these small gifts of kindness are enough to brighten the darkest days, enough to lift the weary spirit with invisible hands.

The deeper meaning of his words is this: kindness need not be vast to be powerful. We are often taught to believe that only grand acts—the saving of nations, the giving of fortunes, the heroic sacrifice—hold true worth. Yet Eddie teaches us that even a smile exchanged on a crowded street is an act of grace, carrying weight beyond measure. For in that moment, two souls acknowledge each other’s humanity, and the world becomes less cold.

Mark this well: when he says it happens “about half the time,” Eddie reveals another truth. Not every smile will be returned, not every gesture will be answered. Yet this, too, is wisdom—that kindness must not depend on certainty of return. The giving itself is a triumph, and when the gift is reciprocated, it becomes a miracle multiplied. Thus, in his daily walk, he counts dozens of such miracles, and his days are made rich not by wealth or fame, but by the steady rhythm of shared humanity.

Practical wisdom flows from this: do not underestimate the power of your smile. When you step into the world, carry it not as a mask but as a genuine gift to those you meet. Some will pass by unmoved, but others will be warmed, comforted, even healed by its light. And when their smile returns to you, receive it with gratitude, for you have witnessed a small act of kindness—an act that, though ordinary, is sacred.

Therefore, O seeker, let Eddie the Eagle’s words be etched upon your heart: greatness lies not only in soaring high upon the stage of history, but in lifting others in the daily theater of life. Offer your smile freely, count every returned gesture as treasure, and know that these simple acts of kindness are the true victories of the spirit. For in such exchanges, humanity finds its unity, and even the most ordinary days are crowned with light.