Friday, October 1, 2010

Random Acts of Kindness

By Tina M. Clark

Random acts of kindness are things we do for others for no other reason than to be kind, helpful and nice! They are best done with no fan fair and no praise is needed nor expected.

The first time I ever heard of such a thing was from my neighbor, Jodi. We were talking one day not to long ago and she told me of an experience that she called “Random Acts of Kindness”.

random-acts-of-kindness Many of us will go out of our way for family or a good friend. It seems more and more in our rush rush dash to get everything done we neglect to show kindness to ourselves much less strangers. (ie road rage, flipping off people or honking long and loud when someone sits at a green light, etc)

If a friend or relative got sick we might be willing to go to their house take soup or cookies, maybe even water or feed their plants or animals while they were gone. We know then, we feel generous and we are in our comfort zone. We know they will appreciate it and do the same in kind when we need them, right!?

This is RANDOM ACTS, I am speaking of here. You do it not knowing the person or expecting Thank you’s or praises. If given you don’t stick around and gloat in the attention but say thank you and move on.

It shouldn’t be planned, and you should try not to be found out.

For instance;

You are in the bank waiting to make a transaction. An older person comes in not real steady on their feet and you let them take your place and move to the back of the line. Or you just give someone you spot just out of kindness because they have their hands really full, or just simply to be nice.

You are waiting for a parking place up close and it is about to become available.Then you see a woman with a small child also looking or maybe the handicap spots are taken up and you allow a handicaped person to have your nice close spot. It might mean that you have to make a few more circles around the lot, but what did it hurt?

Your co-worker is having a really bad day. You go at break and bring them back something with out them asking. Or you pick up a flower during lunch break and place it on their desk.(Don’t expect any money for the offering)

You can leave a batch of homemade cookies and a small note saying; Have a nice day, welcome to the neighborhood, hope you feel better soon, Or leave a card.

The whole point is to help others and to share a smile, assist someone with a hard day or just be nice for once. It hurts you not at all and will actually make you feel better! I have found that through these random acts, even when I am having a bad day that somehow I feel better inside just in the doing.

I challenge you to find your own kind of Random Acts and put them in force if not everday at least once in awhile. Watch how it brightens someone else’s day. Watch how you feel just a little lighter too!


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