“No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop
Today Positive Focus has declared “I Choose Kindness Day.” We are encouraged to perform at least one act of kindness today. It’s good to do this every single day but it’s ok to have a whole day specifically designated for Kindness. Just like Valentine’s day & Mother’s Day, and birthdays! It’s good to love our mom every day, celebrate all kinds of love every day, celebrate and cherish a person’s or animal’s life every day in various ways but there’s nothing wrong with having a day dedicated to it. We won’t be celebrating with cakes and roses and extravagant restaurants and material gifts every single day so we can reserve one day for that and celebrate in more subtle but still important ways every other day of the year.
Here are a list of some suggestions for Kindness Day. We don’t have to go all out and do something “big” like volunteer at a soup kitchen or something (although that would be fantastic!)! The point is to incorporate kindness into our every day situations.
1.) Smile at a stranger.
2.) help your mom in the kitchen
3.) give money to a homeless person (many people say not to because they use it for alcohol but think about it for a second. They also have to be buying food. They can’t live on just alcohol! Maybe they are buying alcohol but then they still need money for food! And not all of them are into alcohol or other drugs. People say give them food instead but just because they are homeless doesn’t mean they want food off of a stranger. I don’t want to encourage people to eat something they don’t know where it was or who did what to it. Would you eat food some random stranger comes up and gives you? I know people say “beggars can’t be choosy” but the line has to be drawn somewhere…they still have choices to make.)
4.) give a tip to a person in a cafe or restaurant
5.) put an insect outside instead of killing
6.) write a sweet message on social media
7.) give someone a genuine compliment
8.) write an inspiring quote on an index card and put it in a public place to be found
9.) feed a stray animal or squirrels and pigeons in a safe place
10.) pick trash up off the ground
11.) pick objects up off the floor in a store and put them back on the shelves
12.) pay for someone’s coffee or something in line
13.) ask someone “how are you today?” not just as a social obligation or thing to do but to really listen and care
14.) instead of lashing out, take a deep breath and hold our tongue when someone provokes us to be angry. Kindness can be acted on in the most subtle or none noticeable ways like not doing something unkind that we are so tempted to do. It won’t stand out most likely, most won’t be conscious of our act of kindness but it doesn’t matter, we aren’t trying to get credit. And even though they won’t realize, they would realize if our act wasn’t done and feel the unpleasant effects.
15.) give someone a hug (if we know the person likes or doesn’t mind being hugged!)
16.) Sincerely wish the best for someone even if the person doesn’t know it, this generates positive energy and gets us more in the habit of loving and positive thinking.
17.) put a dollar on a park bench or let it blow away in the wind. Maybe a person in need will find it. At first it probably feels like wasting money but it’s really not, think how happy you would feel finding one dollar and know someone else will feel that way too
18.) let someone in front of us in line in a store
19.) forgive someone for being rude, smile at a person who carelessly pushes by you on a crowded street or bus, let someone go before us in traffic…..
20.) Share an inspiring post on social media – social media is a great way to show love or potentially show love to thousands of strangers each day or even just one, it gives us the opportunity to reach people we never would without it. It’s truly an incredible invention that we so often take for granted or use for negative purposes like arguing and getting offended and trying to offend people or “stalking” people we don’t like just to see what they’re up to or wasting hours on boring mindless junk because we don’t want to think of something better. But one positive post will still be here in years to come and even if no one sees it now, in future years or days, someone can stumble upon it.
I’m not telling people what to do or what anyone “should” do! These are just some ideas to make the day a bit sweeter for others. I don’t think anyone “should” do these things and I don’t always do all these things myself! I won’t be doing all of them today. It’s just good to do sweet little things once in a while to bring some more light into the world. But you are enough just how you are and we don’t have to be heroes or saints or constantly doing things for everyone to be good or worthy or kindhearted.
Here is a beautiful song by Nimo Patel:
“Throw your hearts up
Let it fly high
Let your love for all the world
Spread through the skies
Let it drop down
Let it all go
Spreading kindness to every
Single living soul
Can you see your love… for me shining through
Cuz what you see in me, I can see in you
And soon enough, you and me…we’ll be outta time
And kindness… will be all we can leave behind”
Love is how we live on long after we are gone. Our loving essence lives forever. Let it ripple and touch others. Live & love.
Live to love.
Love to live. ❤
Do you have any ideas for acts of kindness? Post them here in the comments or maybe just try them out! ❤ There is an infinite number of ways to show kindness in this life.
“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and receive without forgetting.”
I hope you are having a lovely day! Much love to you!! ❤ 😀 ~Hugs~