How To Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day

The Random Acts of Kindness movement was started over 40 years ago by Anne Herbert, a Berkley activist and writer. As a counter to the phrase “random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty” she scribbled the phrase “random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” on a restaurant placemat. Years later, in 1993, she co-authored, “Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty,” which was immediately embraced by hundreds of thousands of people. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation was established just a couple of years afterward and along with it, Random Acts of Kindness Day. It is celebrated each year on February 17th and it encourages people to perform simple, unexpected acts of kindness to brighten someone’s day.

How to Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day

The benefits of kindness are immeasurable. Both for the giver and the receiver. Someone who shows kindness to others is most often happier, calmer, and less stressed. And, the benefits of being on the receiving end of kindness can be the difference between a good day, a good week or even a good life. We can never truly know how our benevolent actions will affect someone else, but we do know that kindness is contagious. It has been shown to produce a butterfly effect, which is a powerful concept that illustrates how small actions can have big consequences.

Small acts of kindness have the power to change the world. Every decision or interaction we make with someone, no matter how small, has the potential to change their life in a positive way. When that person passes this kind deed along to another person, essentially “paying it forward,” we begin to adopt a mindset that embraces making a difference in the lives of others. Believing in the power of our actions and being passionate about creating positive change can cause a ripple effect of positivity in the world.

Random acts of kindness don’t require a lot of thought. They can be small, easy things you can do for others without expecting anything in return. Here are just a few simple ways to inspire acts of kindness.

·         Help your neighbor mow his lawn or shop for groceries.

·         Bake cookies for the elderly and deliver them to a nursing home.

·         Serve at a homeless shelter.

·         Help at a dog shelter or veterinary office.

·         Pick up litter at a park or in your neighborhood.

·         Let someone ahead of you on the freeway.

·         Give a stranger a compliment.

·         Smile at someone and say hello.

·         Buy coffee for the person in line behind you.

·         Leave snacks and refreshments for delivery drivers.

·         Donate blood.

·         Cook a meal for someone who needs help.

·         Instead of texting, write a handwritten letter to someone.

·         Write positive messages on sticky notes and leave them for people to find.

Practicing kindness on Random Acts of Kindness Day is also a great way to move from viewing kindness as an action to viewing it as a quality or trait that you want to cultivate within yourself. We can do this by asking ourselves questions each morning like, “How can I practice kindness today?” And, then act on those very impulses. We begin by focusing on what we can do for others each day and extend those things throughout the year, making it a habit by which we live our lives. Consider making a commitment to do more for others than you do for yourself. It really takes a shift in mindset to make kindness a priority in our life.

The bottom line is that being kind feels good and has powerful effects on those we are kind to. By spending more time thinking about doing kind acts, we will most likely choose kindness more often and impact the world in ways that we cannot possibly imagine.

So, this February 17th, remember to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day. There are literally thousands of ways to spread love and kindness in the world. If we are passionate about making a positive change in the lives of others, we can create a more caring and loving society. You may just be the inspiration that someone needs to do a small act of kindness for someone else. In the end, all of these small inspirations can add up to something monumental!

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