Too much of the media is focused on the negative in the world and I seldom hear about anything good. To be honest, it’s taken a bit of a toll on me as I’m sure it has for so many others. As a result of this, when I do come across stories of positivity I feel encouraged, as it reminds me that there is good out there. You just sometimes have to look for it. I’ve been wanting more people to be aware that kindness and compassion still exist.
Two weeks before Thanksgiving this year, I reached out to my family members and asked if they would join me in performing at least three random acts of kindness that we would share with each other during Thanksgiving dinner. It is my firm belief that, the more people are exposed to kindness, the more they are willing to engage with it themselves. I feel as though this is most often seen with the ‘drive thru experience’ -- when the person in front of you has paid for your order and you’re so touched that you choose to keep it going and pay for the person behind you as well. My family learned a lot from this ‘Thanksgiving task.’
It was an interesting experience because I learned that so many of my family members had a hard time determining what was considered a random act of kindness. Over dinner, we discussed how we should not be titling it as ‘random’ acts of kindness but simply, acts of kindness.
While some of the acts of kindness that were performed were ones we didn’t usually take part in, many of us recognized that we performed acts of kindness each day that we simply just never consciously thought about: holding the door open for others, letting others over in traffic when no one else will, smiling and greeting acquaintances or coworkers in the morning. They seem like such simple things but they are nonetheless acts of kindness that we perform each day.
Below is a list of just some of the acts of kindness performed:
Greeting and smiling at coworkers
Letting others cut in traffic when no one else will
Filling all the parking meters with change/time in a downtown area
Paying for the person behind you at Dunkin Donuts
Giving a ride to a friend who needed one
Making 60 Thanksgiving cards and delivering them to a nursing home
Taking care of a sick loved one
Leaving new winter wear in bags in a bus station for those who are cold and need it
Reaching out to thank those who have touched your life
Complimenting others
Randomly making a meal for loved ones
For some family members, this experience just called to their attention just how easily kind acts are integrated into their routines and I think that is such an important thing to be aware of. For others, it was an opportunity to think outside the box and come up with some action that required more conscious thought. Overall, I believe that we all realized how easy it is to perform acts of kindness and it brought to our attention just how often we have engaged with some tasks. Kindness isn’t always random. It is around us more than we think and more than we are exposed to, it really does come down to simply recognizing the good that is out there. Awareness is key, as kindness is contagious, and it doesn’t even have to cost you anything. How simple is it to offer a compliment or a smile? It doesn’t take much to make the day of a stranger or a loved one. Just remember… “If you want more kindness in the world, put it there.”
