Improve the World with Random Acts of Kindness
Random Acts of Kindness, now that’s an idea that feels right for the season. Its the time of year we move into the darkest days here in the northern hemisphere. Acts of kindness can bring more light to the bigger world. Become one of the lights that brightens the lives of others as we head into the longer nights leading to the winter solstice.
As a child I loved the use of an advent calendar with treats or candies as you opened the tiny windows counting down the days to Christmas. Did you have a Secret Santa? That secretive way of giving are fun!
In this blog post I extend an invitation for you to join me in a month of Random Acts of Kindness to brighten our days and those of people around us and enter into a joyful giving season.
What Are Random Acts of Kindness & Why Do They Matter
You’ve probably been on the receiving side of a random act of kindness and because you are you, also on the giving side. For me the receiving side is a bit more challenging then the giving side. I find it easy to give and more difficult to receive. Perhaps that is the same with you?
Think back to a moment when someone reached out and helped you in a tough situation or a friend paid you a compliment when you weren’t expecting it. A sweet surprise like this can really make a difference.
It is now known that such experiences are also good for your health and overall well-being – both as the giver and receiver.
A random act of kindness can be a good deed, caring word, selfless act or small gift. Even a smile can brighten someone’s day. There are many benefits for both the giver and the receiver for random acts of kindness.
Acts of Kindness Encourage Gratitude, Lowers your Stress, improves your mood.
Doing something nice for someone else can make you feel grateful for your blessings. When you realize you’re able to give even the smallest bit of yourself to someone else, it spotlights the abundance you have in your life.
Stepping out of ourselves in order to focus on someone else is another great way to gain renewed perspective. Plus, doing good just makes you feel better. It releases feel-good hormones and increases your happiness. Suddenly, your troubles may seem a bit less burdensome.
Doing good makes a positive difference to both the giver and the recipient. I think that is why so many of us find it easier to do these acts of kindness during this holiday season.
Finding examples of Random Acts of Kindness can lighten your day
Doing a Google search, I find many have shared experiences in many ways. There are specific “Feel Good” Facebook groups for reading and sharing acts of kindness. YouTu.be videos of kindness acts are easy to find. (share your favorites!)
A friend of mine, wanting to learn how to crochet better, joined a local group to crochet hats for the homeless. I believe they delivered 400 of them and were featured on the local news. It was a most rewarding experience and she made new friends.
The stories of the acts of kindness that are secretive, where it is done so nobody knows who did it, feel especially rewarding. Those individuals pull off a great random act and then get to experience a lasting moment of grinning inside and out! Secretive is more my style.
Celebrities or people with lots of funds are often noticed. What is rewarding is when you find out they did it because it was their purpose to help and they really didn’t want the publicity. Do you have examples of this?
The Irish group of kindness on Facebook spoke of a group where you could sign up to send an anonymous gift to a person in a nursing home. That idea is appealing to me. I wonder if there is one nearby me?
The RAK Kind blog featured this workspace and the Christmas party they celebrated with acts of kindness.
Original Random Acts of Kindness
The official Random Acts of Kindness organization actually has monthly calendars for an entire year going back to when the group started. There are calendars for children, adults, school aged young ones filled with all kinds of great suggestions. They also have a Facebook Group.
A goal of mine this month is to get into a serious acts of kindness mindset such that I am willing to begin a practice of a daily act of kindness putting it high on my list of priorities for each day throughout the coming year. That way I can do my own tiny bit to make the world a better place.
With that in mind, I share these two calendar links for the month of December.
- A blank calendar to print and fill in your own Random Acts of Kindness ideas
Download that here. - The 2021 December calendar I downloaded from the Random Acts of Kindness website with suggested acts of kindness. Download that here.
Both are in a format for you to print and hang where you can see them.
I invite you to post acts of kindness ideas in the thread on my Facebook page: Small Business Web Solutions This will encourage us with more creative ideas.
Then I encourage you to join the 40,333 people that have signed up to be a Random Act of Kindness Activist! There is even a lesson plan for teachers! We can spread the good, share ideas, and sprinkle a bit of kindness even further.
Enjoy the smiles you will bring in December
Looking forward to bringing more joy into my world.
If you need more ideas to get you started Natural Beach Living website has a list of 101 great ideas!
This should get us started!
Terry
A video with Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters
https://youtu.be/qzv6EhE7Cbo