I am sure that each of you has met someone who unselfishly helped you for no other reason than the kindness in their soul.

I have received so much help from strangers, especially when I first moved from Russia to the United States. I remember every single person who gave me a helping hand, and I am so grateful to all of them.

The older I get, the more I want to help people. I feel I am repaying my life’s debt. There were many who helped me survive when I was frightened and alone and, in recent years, I have found the ability and strength to help others who really need someone to be there for them.

I believe that by giving freely to another person we start a chain of kindness.

Often, we can’t even imagine where it will lead and how many people it will affect.

Like dropping a pebble in a still pond, the waves of our kindness radiate out into the world touching both those we know and others we will never even meet.

In the first days of the pandemic I went into a tiny clothing store in Bali. I was in a black dress with a bright green bead necklace.

The petite Balinese sales person greeted me with a warm smile. She wore a striking silk scarf tied in a bow around her slender waist.

I could not help but compliment her. “How beautiful! Your scarf is the same colour as my necklace.”

She smiled again, then suddenly untied the scarf and handed it to me.

“This is my gift to you. I’ve been wearing it for long enough. It is time for a new owner.”

I was dumbfounded! I stammered a bit and said, “Let me pay you for it!”

She laughed musically and shook her head. “No, just wear it and rejoice!”

She put her hands together, palm to palm, and nodded, all in one elegant gesture.

She did not try to sell me something else or somehow use the situation to her advantage.

I was pondering this at our hotel when an e-mail arrived from my talented online friend, Natalia, in Siberia. She was in despair. She wanted to write a book with all her heart, but just could not begin.

“The words refuse to come!” I felt her bitter hopelessness. “Will you help me?”

This was a big commitment, but I touched the scarf, then typed a quick response.

“Yes, I will! Let’s get started!”

The chain of kindness began. Natalia is writing her book and I have never seen her so happy.

When I wear that silk scarf, I think about the lovely Balinese woman who surprised me with sudden kindness and how it prompted my split-second decision to help Natalia, no matter how difficult that road might be.

Do good deeds! Big or small, they will return to you a hundredfold. Often, this happens when you least expect it. Somewhere, someone else started a chain of kindness and you are now the latest link.

It’s easy to put miracles in motion. It can be a simple word of encouragement or a grand gesture. It doesn’t matter. Think of it. Today, with your very own hands, you can toss that pebble into the pond.

Your kindness will ripple through the world creating happiness you never dreamt of.

• Nina London is a certified wellness and weight-management coach. Her mission is to support and inspire mature women to make positive changes in their body and mind. Share your inspirational stories with her at www.ninalondon.com