16 Random and Not So Random Acts of Kindness

In honor of World Kindness Day…

It’s easy to find an opportunity to show the world a little kindness. And it doesn’t take much to make someone’s day brighter or special or meaningful. Most of these ideas won’t cost a dime and the payoff may be priceless.

In celebration of World Kindness Day, here are a few suggestions:

1. A smile. It’s been scientifically proven in face-to-face interactions, people reciprocate their conversation partners’ genuine and polite smiles with matching smiles.
2. A handshake. Use hand sanitizers before your touch your face, but before that, offer a handshake to the doorman, train conductor, trash collector, school crossing guard, etc.
3. Letting someone in line. At the check-out line, coffee shop, deli, post office, etc. Step aside and offer to let the person behind you go ahead.
4. Paying it forward – those random acts of buying coffee for the person behind you in line. Find a place today to do this.
5. Give up your seat. On the train or bus for an elderly person, a pregnant woman or someone who looks like they need to take a load off their feet.
   

   Read to someone. An elderly person, a child,  your significant other (maybe a love poem, the back of a cereal box!). Or read the sign that says 12 Items or Less and Be Kind; take your 15 items to another check-out.

6. Call your Mother or Father or Spouse or Child and tell them how much you love and appreciate them.  Laugh with them when the laugh at you, especially your kids, for “being weird”.
7. Leave notes around the office. Or slip a kind message across or under the table. A kind word to a co-worker today lessens the stress of whatever crap is going down in the meeting.
8. Hand out chocolates. Who doesn’t love that! Dove Hearts are nice. They come with sweet messages that make more sense than fortune cookies.
9. Leave a positive review. Pick your favorite local shop or restaurant and write something nice. A great meal. Great customer service. The window display.
10. Purchase whatever the local kids are selling to raise money for their trip, etc. If you are nixing the sweets or carbs or don’t need another calendar, buy it anyway and pass it on.
11. Offer to walk someone’s dog. You’ll get the exercise, give someone an extra hour of time and make a new friend.
12. Be kind to yourself. For one day treat yourself like you would if you got to spend a day with favorite music or movie star.
13. Say Hello, Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening. To every person you meet. Greet people in their native language, if possible.
14. Put the toilet seat down, or put the toilet seat up. You’ll know.
15. Be kind to the planet. Recycle or Upcycle something.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Awesome KINDNESS

Image source: iClipart; Original design by Stephanie DelTorchio
Smile source