Random Acts of Kindness

Today is that day--the one where you only have to pay for the coffee for the person behind you in line, since everyone is "paying it forward". The one where people post about the little things they do to make the world a nicer place.

It might be too easy to wax cynical on this. After all, aren't we supposed to do kind things as a way of life all through the year? Does confining it to a "day" and then sharing all our good deeds somehow make more of a difference? Or is it just an excuse to show off for a day and then go back to our self-centred ways?

Well, actually, maybe it does make a positive difference.

I know that other people's ideas for kindness have caused me to do things I wouldn't have otherwise thought of doing. Also, consider that November can be an overwhelming month in which school and work loads increase, the days get shorter and (usually) cooler, and the thoughts of warm summer days become fleeting memories. Holiday stressors begin. People begin to look inward, sometimes becoming downright grumpy, but usually just focusing on their own business at hand.

What a perfect time to give each other a small, simple, yet much needed boost!

Kindness breeds kindness, and with enough impetus, these small acts can create a significant ripple that extends well into the year and throughout the community. The small reminder that even (and maybe especially) the smallest of gestures, such as a well-timed smile, can create a huge difference comes at a perfect time in the year when we are most likely to begin to feel overwhelmed with high expectations.

So please, don't be shy, share some of your small acts of kindness given and/or received here in the comments so we can all spread a little more positivity throughout the community! Sometimes it's easy to forget, fail to notice, or just set aside these things that can make life a little brighter.

Ideas so far:
- making a point to carry change/gift cards/warm hats, gloves, socks etc. to give to homeless people
- leaving a "pay cart" at the grocery store unhooked so the next person doesn't have to fish out change in order to shop
- donating to a food bank
- paying it forward in lineups at restaurants etc.
- offering someone a ride who doesn't have one
- walking a neighbour's dog
- bringing in a neighbour's trash cans & recycling boxes for them
- making lunch for other family members
- buying lunch for a colleague
- paying someone the compliment you've been thinking but haven't yet said
- offer encouragement rather than criticism
- offer to pick up items for your roommate when you go shopping
- call or visit your parents and/or grandparents
- offer to babysit for new parents
- leave a friendly note for someone
- top up someone's parking meter

A Life of Awesome

The other day, when we were out browsing at a local bookstore, my son happened upon The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha. In case you are unfamiliar with it, it is a collection of life tidbits that are often overlooked, such as when you are in a long lineup and suddenly a cashier opens up a new checkout.

We were in a bit of a hurry by the time he found it, but it stayed with him and he proceeded to share some of his favourites with us over dinner. His enthusiasm was catching, and we found ourselves coming up with "awesomes" of our own.

The first true spring evening. Catching a glimpse of a shooting star. Unloading the dishwasher to find no rejects. The delicious smell of line-dried bedsheets. Being greeted at the end of the day by your favourite tail-wagging dog. The first crocus buds peeking through the snow cover. The shy grin of an infant over her mother's shoulder. Being the first onto the skating rink after the Zamboni. Buses that connect. All green lights on a drive when you're running late. The taste of a cold drink of water on a hot summers day. The sound of waves on the seashore.

I could go on. And the thing is, I should go on. All too often we fail to appreciate the small wonders in our daily lives. We forget to stop and smell the roses (or bedsheets--take your pick!), and yet, when it all comes down to it, it's those small, seemingly insignificant miracles that hold so much importance in our lives.

You've probably heard the phrases "count your blessings" and "stop and smell the roses", but for us, it was this "Book of Awesome", with its obvious appeal to a tween boy (which is awesome in and of itself) that really made us stop and put those things into words to share.

We are now working on our own "awesome lists". With all the rushing around that we do in our society, it can become all too easy to focus on the negative, to work on problems that seem urgent and forget to balance that with the positives that surround us. Shifting the focus to the positive in our lives is helping us put things into a more balanced perspective.

Your list will likely be a little different than mine, but chances are we will have at least a couple of things in common. These are things that bring us together in our experience, despite the fact that we may live in different countries, be of different cultures, religions etc. and never meet. It is part of the shared human experience. We are not so different as it might appear after all.