“Random Acts of Kindness” week is from February 14th through the 21^st and today is the National day to celebrate it by being your best self! You can participate in the Extreme Kindness Challenge by checking out Random Acts of Kindness. Are you up for it?

A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or persons wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual. The phrase may have been coined by Anne Herbert, who claims to have written “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty” on a place mat at a Sausalito restaurant in 1982 or 1983. Either spontaneous or planned in advance, random acts of kindness lift everyone’s spirits. If you can make someone else feel good it will make you feel good and that’s a win -win situation.

Kindness is contagious and we should never underestimate the power of a kind word or a loving gesture. This is how we change the world one kindness at a time, one day at a time. Make someone smile!

 

 

There probably has been a time in your life when someone you did not know, offered you a smile and a greeting when you were feeling down or offered to help you when there was nothing in it for them other than being kind to another human being. These are things we remember for years to come and sometimes for our whole life. You could be the person that inspires someone else to change their life and you may never know the impact you had.

Some ideas to get you started can also be found by using Smile Deck, a deck of cards with unique kindness ideas. You can add to the list and then share it with others. It’s important to carry out your acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Remember the movie, “Pay It Forward”?

~ Send someone a hand written note of thanks

~ Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason

~ Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter if it is about to expire

~ Offer to walk your friend’s dog

~ Let someone go ahead of you at the bank or grocery store

~ Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person

~ Write notes of appreciation at least once a week

 

~ Pick up some trash even if you did not drop it

~ Compliment a work colleague for their excellent work

~ Buy an inspirational book for a friend and write a note of encouragement

~ Send a thank you note to a person that helped or inspired you in the past

~ Smile a lot. Be grateful every day and encourage those around you