On the ground floor of the block of flats where I live is a day care centre for the elderly. Every morning, I walk past folks in their 70s and 80s being escorted to the centre by their children, domestic helpers or the centre's volunteers.

There's one old man who looks intimidating and gruff. He never smiles, though that hasn't stopped me from attempting a weak grin when I see him. In terms of friendliness, he's a far cry from the other elderly men and women who call out greetings to me and other neighbours.

One morning, Grumpy Uncle and I were approaching each other: he on his way to the centre, me on my way past it to the bus stop. 

"Just smile," I told myself. "You know you'll feel good for having tried."

So I smiled at him, expecting the usual non-response. To my surprise, he stopped his faltering steps, took one hand off his walker and waved at me.

I was gleeful. As I made my way to the bus stop, I felt grateful for that encounter, and hoped it had made the old man's day a little brighter, too.

As soon I got to the bus stop, I took my phone out of my bag and tweeted what had happened.

Grumpy old uncle in my block not only said hello to me but actually waved! Today will be a good day for us both. #chasingthegood #singapore

— Noelle Perera (@noellemartine) June 23, 2015

Now, I know what you're thinking.

There's a lot of talk about social media having turned us all into insular narcissists. Every Instagram selfie and tweet about what we ate for lunch is another nail in the coffin of human-to-human interaction, another self-congratulatory ode to our existence.

But there's another side to social media, a side the Our Better team knows well.

It's on this side that our hashtag movement, #chasingthegood, lives. Here, social media is used to document, share and celebrate the small acts of kindness happening around us, showcasing the very best of humanity.

We launched #chasingthegood to encourage you to populate your social media feeds with stories of the good you encounter in your everyday life. We know those stories are there, and we've seen them inspire others to do good. They've certainly inspired us.

Again, I know what you're thinking.

How is one tweet about an old man who waved possibly going to make a ripple in our social fabric?

A quick scan of #chasingthegood on Instagram or Twitter will show you how that one anecdote contributes to a much larger conversation by a growing community of people celebrating good instead of lamenting the bad. 

It will take time and commitment, but that conversation will create change.

We saw it happen when one of our community members shared a picture of the inspiring teenage girls she works with and, unprompted, others took up the cause to contribute books, stationery and cash.

So keep posting those #foodporn Instagrams; maybe one will be at a restaurant that's a social enterprise, and you'll encourage your followers to eat great food and do good at the same time.

Go ahead and live tweet your bus journey – you might document multiple acts of kindness that will lead to more considerate commuters.

We're all storytellers of the everyday, and our stories can create change.