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Random Acts of Kindness: 4 Ways to Brighten Your Day!
February 17th is the official Random Acts of Kindness Day, but one can—and should!—celebrate kindness everyday. The interesting thing about kindness, especially random acts thereof, is that it serves not only to cheer the direct recipient of your kindness, but also serves to make your own day a bit brighter. Acts of kindness are like double-edged…hugs! They have the double effect of warming two hearts and often inspire a ripple effect of kindness—perhaps the recipient of your random act will be inspired, in turn, to become a surprise benefactor to another. Should you feel inspired to start a domino effect of do-gooding, here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Send a Thoughtful Gift Basket to a Nursing Home Resident
Begin by calling your local nursing home and asking a nurse to identify some residents who do not receive regular visitors. The nurse can give you an idea of what types of goodies a resident might like to receive in a gift basket. If you are lacking the time and resources to put together a gift basket yourself, you can select from among a great variety of flower, cookie, fruit, and even specialty gift baskets on-line. And in ordering a gift basket online, you will have the option of sending it anonymously to the nursing home so as to commit a truly random act of kindness! Make sure to follow up by visiting the nursing home and spend some time walking, talking, and reading with the residents. It will be heart-warming to realize what an important impact your kindness has had on both you and the residents!
2. Stop to Lend a Hand to Someone
Everyday we pass up opportunities to help someone in need. If you leave your house in the morning with the goal of helping someone out, you will be amazed at how many opportunities arise. Consider all that you encounter on your way to work: a car stranded on the side of the road; a woman desperate for change at the bus stop; an elderly man hanging about the coffee shop in hopes of something warm to drink…if you start looking for occasions to be a Good Samaritan, you will find them everywhere. And, when you do pull over to help out, or stop to share a cup of coffee, you will be making an important contribution to the sense community in the area where you live or work.
3. Send your Children to School with Apples and Thank You Notes for their Teachers
Teachers are among the most under recognized and underpaid professionals in the United States; even the simplest display of appreciation and recognition will go a long way towards brightening their day. And you will see a profound ripple effect resulting from this random act of kindness; it will not only make your, the teacher’s, and your children’s day, but will also improve the classroom atmosphere for all of your children’s classmates!
4. Smile at and Greet Everyone You See
The easiest and most profound way to turn another person’s—and your own—day around is to smile and say hello. You might even offer compliments at random to people you don’t know. You will be surprised to discover how quickly the person behind the counter will light up when you sincerely try to connect with a word or a smile. By the end of the day you will feel like the whole world must be in sync after so many positive interactions!
Put these ideas into practice and you will soon find that everyone around you—including yourself—seems a little more cheerful; eventually random acts of kindness will begin to seem a little less random and become a part of your daily life!
About the Author: Allison Mueller is a writer for 99GiftBaskets.US, where, whether you’re planning a random act of kindness or even a senseless act of beauty, you’ll find a variety of flower,
fruit, and gift baskets to brighten anyone's day!
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