Random acts of kindness mean that you are deliberately trying to brighten another person's day by doing something courteous, kind and expressing interest in them. Kindness is a way of showing others that they are important and that even in the face of hostility and selfishness you are maintaining a position of courtesy. The phrase is associated with Anne Herbert, who is said to have written on a restaurant placemat "Practice random gestures of kindness and senseless acts of beauty", and this concept has become an organized practice around the world that results in a "calling "To kindness. You certainly don't want to wait for a particular day to dedicate yourself to kindness, you can do it whenever you want!
By doing something courteous for others, you help spark the concept in a conscious community that kindness and goodness are essential values in a healthy community. Here are some tips for encouraging others through your gestures of kindness.
Steps
Step 1. Be kind
Kindness is a contagious attitude. When we share it, others will be inspired to do the same. Feed the fire of kindness with your behavior towards others.
Step 2. Try to be aware
Gestures of kindness can be done through understanding the needs of the other. How many times would you have liked someone to have thought a little more before acting or before saying something? Try to be an example in this.
- Put others before you. If you approach the supermarket checkout with another person, you can decide to smile and let them pass on.
- When you are stuck in traffic and the last thing you want to do is let someone else pass, remember that someone has allowed you to pass, so return the favor to another person!
Step 3. Education is a form of kindness
Good manners are not dead, they have just been forgotten. Still, good manners are the foundation of courteous and kind relationships, and their use is an indication of respect for others. Keep the door open for someone or an umbrella to shelter another in the rain and be on time for someone you promised to meet.
Say thank you. If someone does something for you, please be grateful and let them know
Step 4. Compliment
There is usually an awkward silence when you are in the elevator or queuing up with a stranger. Instead of staring at the floor, find something you like about the other and pay him a compliment. Not only will you make him feel good, but you could strike up a conversation with a new friend.
- Surprise your neighbor by telling him how good he is today.
- Tell your boss how smart he really is!
- Tell your assistant how smart he really is. Honestly praise subordinates who stay late or have done something beyond their remit. Try to notice these things.
- Praise your child for his skills and good ideas. Make it a pleasant and unexpected thing instead of asking for the usual school or homework stuff.
- Write a handwritten note to a friend or family member to let them know how much you care.
Step 5. Think of those people who make a difference in your community and thank them
Think of those people in your life whose faces you will never see and never know their names but who are there to serve and protect day after day.
- Send packaged sweets like donuts or cookies to your local police station, paramedics, firefighters with a note letting them know how much you appreciate their service to the community. But be sure to also thank those people who take themselves for granted and who do less egregious things like the garbage man or the janitor. (Homemade desserts can be tainted, unless you're known for your treats; they probably won't be eaten, so it's much better to have something delivered from a popular pastry shop.)
- Get your child's toys that are still in excellent condition to the local kindergarten. Thank the teachers and the people who care for the children for what they do.
- Knock on your neighbor's door with a freshly baked cake. Sure, your neighbors are an important part of your community and can make a difference just by being around. Share their importance and role in your life with them.
Step 6. Comfort the lonely
They are everywhere, in all walks of life and of all ages. Helping lonely people feel welcome is an extremely rewarding act of generosity.
- Write a letter to a stranger. It only takes a few minutes but a letter can make someone else's day (or even week) better. Think of all the people who are lonely, isolated, and in need of consolation: the soldiers fighting away from home, the boys in reform homes, or the elderly in retirement homes. Do a simple search online and find a service that gives you the list of people who would like to receive a letter.
- Pay for a coffee to someone else who is queuing at the bar with you. If he has time, have a chat with him.
- Go to a nursing home and chat with the residents. You can offer to read to them, sing or involve them in writing poetry, stories or playing!
Step 7. Volunteer
Have you ever seen a homeless person and have you never felt overwhelmed by your inability to help? While you can't save them all, you can do a lot with a small gesture. Buy a pair of gloves or knit a blanket and give them to someone who lives on the street or give them to a homeless organization.
- Clean without being asked to. The next time you see someone dirty, don't just shake your head and look away. Collect the dirt and throw it in the bin and while you do it look around to see if there is anything else to remove. If you go for a walk bring a plastic bag with you so you can pick up the garbage that would otherwise make you sad and know that you are doing an act of kindness and that people will start following you!
- Prepare a box of food for the needy.
Step 8. Introduce yourself to your colleague with kindness
Offer him lunch or a beer after work. She gets her job done so she can go home early for her son's birthday party.
- If your co-worker has had a terrible day, buy him some flowers and give him a warm hug to make him feel better. We all need a little more love sometimes.
- Bring freshly baked muffins or cookies to work and share them with your colleagues, your staff and other people in the office.
Step 9. Share some wealth
Why not surprise someone by paying for something they thought they ought to pay out of their own pockets? Here are some fun tips:
- At the bar, pay the person at the table next to you for coffee and a slice of cake.
- Pay the cinema ticket for the person in line behind you.
- Pay admission to the zoo for children and parents who are waiting to enter.
- Pay for parking for the car next to yours. Put some coins in the parking meter to avoid the fine!
Step 10. Give your family a break
There are many kind things you can do for the people you love. One of these is to give them a break from housework and give them the opportunity to do something different.
- Make breakfast in bed for everyone.
- Wash the car for them.
- Spread the herbicide while the other family member is at work.
- Promise to wash the dishes for a week, no complaints!
- Print a photo of your family and write to each member exactly why it is so important to you. Let them know why the moment portrayed in the photo means so much to you.
Step 11. Spend an evening with friends
Order pizza for everyone and play party games or watch a movie together. Prepare a special cake in honor of your friendship and share it.
Step 12. Send a message
Write your favorite happiness poem or jot down some hopeful thoughts, then leave the message somewhere for a stranger to find. You could also put the card in your favorite book to let someone know that you liked it very much and that you hope they like it as well; after which he leaves the book where someone else can find it.
Step 13. Forgive someone
You will be amazed at the ripple effect that an ounce of forgiveness can trigger in the lives of others. Forget the past and start thinking kindly about that person again.
Step 14. Share a smile
When you meet someone new or chat with someone you already know, express joy. Show that you are happy with him and that will make him happy in turn.
If you meet someone grumpy or frowning, give them a smile. Ask him if he's had a bad day, tell him you're sorry and wish him luck. Don't let his bad mood reflect on you; on the contrary, do what you can to help him feel better
Step 15. Expect nothing in return
The greatest act of kindness is the one done deliberately without expecting anything in return, but only to take care of the other and make him happy. The reward is goodness itself and it will improve your sense of well-being and happiness; what else could you wish for?
Advice
- To love others you must first love yourself.
- In North America, an unofficial holiday is held on February 17 as the Festival of Random Acts of Kindness. In New Zealand, the same festival coincides with the first day of spring every year.
