the whole “kindness” thing…

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"Mother Teresa", "pay it forward", "random acts of kindness", kindness

“Random Acts of Kindness”.  Hmmm…. You’ve heard of it, certainly.  It’s one of those “buzz word phrases” that gets thrown around a lot; but have you ever really stopped to consider what it ultimately has to do with YOU…??  Well – my opinion on that, (be it ever so humble), is; in a word… Everything.  Now let’s just think about this for a moment.  You are already living your daily life as a “kind” person; Right?  Practicing Random Acts of Kindness (RAKS) is just taking that daily kindness and bumping it up a level.  Or two.

OK – You already smile at the person behind you in line or strike up a friendly conversation; So how about letting them jump ahead of you when you have a full basket and they have just have a few goodies? What about leaving a quarter in the gumball machine  (woohoo!) or taping a dollar to the vending machine at work?  In the winter, try leaving hand/foot warmers for the mailman or offering to buy the Salvation Army “bell ringer” a warm drink.  Can you imagine the sheer joy of a “little nugget” (my daughter’s phrase) upon discovering a dollar bill on the shelf of the toy department ? (make sure you pick a lower shelf 🙂  If a friend is under the weather, perhaps a little homemade soup is “just what the doctor ordered”. Your trashmen work so hard, and they love cold bottled waters in the heat of summer.  Warm chocolate chip cookies are always good for the soul, or perhaps a soothing candle for a friend who is feeling overwhelmed.  An unexpected hand-written card or note in the mail will certainly brighten anyone’s day.

One of the simplest things to do is the “pay it forward” in the drive thru line.  Any drive thru. If you have never practiced RAKS before, this is a GREAT place to “start”.  When you get to the window, you simply tell the person taking the money that you would also like to pay for the person behind you.  It makes the person at the window happy, and the person behind you in line even happier!  The true gift, however, is the way that you feel after you do it.  It’s like a high.  Really.  And there are long-lasting benefits that you may not have considered yet. This whole “kindness thing“… well – let me tell you right now –  It’s both addicting AND contagious! xo

Am I so simplistic and naive that I believe that I can “singlehandedly” create world peace…?  no.  Do I believe that I can, however, change the world?  yes.  Mother Teresa’s quote from yesterday’s (part 1) blog post bears repeating… “If you can’t feed a hundred people, just feed one”. 

And so I challenge you TODAY… to start practicing simple acts of kindness with those around you.  Friends, as well as complete strangers.  To get you in the right frame of mind, take a minute to watch this little video – “Take a seat – Make a friend”.  Watch it all the way through, and it will, hopefully, leave you inspired. For free printables of the cute little “Kindness Quotes” (below), click on this link – “Thirty Handmade Days”.  For even further inspiration, click HERE for some actual pics of heartwarming examples of RAK and HERE for a list of 134 simple ideas for RAK!!!  I’m making it SO EASY for you… only because I sincerely believe in the true POWER of kindness!!  “There’s no such thing as a small act of kindness.  Every act creates a ripple with no logical end”. – Scott Adams