Random Acts of Kindness Week was started by our friends at the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in 1995. The goal was to show that simple acts of kindness can make a big difference. Regular readers of this blog will know that, in general, we tend to shy away from the phrase “random.” It may be a “random act” on the receiving end, but on the giving end, it’s a very intentional choice and a choice that we make each day.
There are dozens of listicles online of “[insert number here] ways to spread kindness” so rather than giving a long list, we are going to share five specific recent ways we have shared kindness. (If you still want a list, I suggest starting with this article from our friends at Daily Good or this page of Kindness Ideas from the RAK Foundation.) I hope you will consider how you might make kindness intentional and personal this week. However you approach spreading kindness this week, I hope you are able to do it in a way that feels joyful, replicable, and sustainable for yourself and your community.
Swapping Books—I am, gratefully, friends with a lot of readers. In an effort to keep my bookshelves from sagging and if I know I’m not going to read or refer back to a book again, I will think of who in my life would love this book. Whether they live around the corner or states away, I will drop it in the mail for them. Because of this—and, let’s be honest, because I have the coolest friends—I will often come home to a new old book in my mailbox. I’m grateful to have friends who share this kind of surprise kindness. “Here’s a poetry book I think you’d like.” “Have you read ____ yet?”
Sharing Talents—I love to bake but, realistically, you can only eat so many cookies as a household of 2. One of my favorite ways to spread kindness is to bake for others whether it’s my colleagues, my apartment neighbors, or my family. I have an artist friend who will often share her prints. She recently gave me 4 prints and told me I could pass them along to others who would enjoy them. A month or so later when I had other friends at my apartment and they complimented the framed print I have of my artist friend’s work in the hallway, I was thrilled to pull out her prints and give them to my friends. Sharing talents can take many forms.
Sending Messages—The other day, I woke up from a very vivid and realistic dream where something bad had happened to a close friend of mine from university. Even though I knew it was a dream, it still shook me enough to send a 6:00 AM Saturday morning text of “I know it’s random… I had this dream… I hope you are well… I love you and am grateful for our friendship.” They were okay. And disgusted by how early I wake up on weekends. Nevertheless, perhaps we need not wait until we have an unsettling dream. Perhaps we tell people now.
Helping Out—I remember learning about symbiotic relationships in some high school science class—the kind of thing that benefits both organisms, like bees and flowers benefiting from the pollen or whatnot—and finding it delightfully charming. I think about that when my partner’s parents ask if we are able to watch their dogs when they are out of town. I immediately benefit from access to two perfect puppies. And they feel good about knowing that their dogs are being spoiled rotten. Oh and the dogs don’t mind all the snuggles either.
Talking Up—One of my favorite things to do is talk people up. It is also one of the easiest things considering how many people I have in my life who deserve talking up. Whether it’s talking up a colleague to their boss or talking up a friend to a new friend so they can hit it off at a party, I find it remarkably easy to find the best in everyone around me and because of that I move through the world assuming the best. Will this occasionally get you burned? Of course. But more often than not, I have been warmed by the fire.
This Random Acts of Kindness Week I am being more intentional than usual to make sure I am living into my values of intentional joy creating. I plan on making cookies for a new colleague’s first day at the office. I’ve made a reservation to get dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a while and be present in the moment as we catch up on our lives. Having completed a puzzle last month, I’d like to pass it on to the next puzzler. I think I’ll tell my friends I love them. Think I’ll make coffee for my partner in the mornings. Think I’ll strive to live in a way that values people and community and love.
I encourage you to find a way (or ways) you can spread kindness this week. It may be the “Random Acts of Kindness Week” but I find being intentional about your decision to live joyfully puts us in a better position to act from a place of love.
Happy Random Acts of Kindness Week from everyone at The Smile Project.
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