It’s National Random Acts of Kindness Week ;). Did you even know this was a thing? Here are eighteen easy ways to spread kindness all around.
A little over a year ago, I shared my lemon meringue pie recipe with you and I told you I had accidentally bought a “marketing” calendar instead of a day planner. Well that calendar sure is coming in handy for blog post ideas!
And honestly – I cannot think of a better idea for a blog post today than eighteen easy ways to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness week – can you?
In the last couple of years, my family has experienced and born witness to our fair share of loss. One in particular was of a young woman that was like a sister and daughter to my family.
While this loss was truly tragic, we were given the gift of being there for this young woman’s mom, dad, and little sister in truly their biggest time of need.
While this was most certainly not random as far as acts of kindness go – the feeling I get when I think about being there for them to have helped them through this unimaginable situation is one of peace.
With that being said, I have been doing A LOT of thinking about what we all could do this week (and hopefully carry forward to continue these kindnesses) to help make anyone’s life we come across – whether stranger or not – filled with a little bit of kindness.
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Eighteen Easy Ways to Spread Kindness
- 1. Give a Stranger a Compliment
- 2. Send Flowers to Someone for No Reason
- 3. Leave a Sweet Note on Someone’s Car Windshield
- 4. Let Someone Cut in Front of You in Line
- 5. Hide a Love Note
- 6. Make Dinner for a Family in Need
- 7. Help Someone in a Jam
- 8. Pray for Someone in Need
- 9. Pay for the Person Behind You in Line at the Counter or Drive-through
- 10. Let Someone into Your Lane on the Highway
- 11. Make Someone Laugh
- 12. Talk to the Shy One at the Event
- 13. Hold the Elevator or Door for Someone
- 14. Add Time to Someone’s Parking Meter
- 15. Say Something Encouraging to that Person You See Struggling
- 16. Smile at Someone That L ooks Like They Need a Smile
- 17. Offer to Take a Photo of Someone Attempting to Take an Awkward Selfie
- 18. Last and Certainly Not Least – BE KIND TO YOURSELF
1. Give a Stranger a Compliment
Have you ever been in public, doing your own thing and all of a sudden a stranger gives you a compliment? It has happened to me a few times, and let me tell you – that smile on my face afterwards lasts for a while!
In fact – the smile you get when you are the giver of the compliment lasts just as long!
So go do it today – it is free after all! Compliment away!
2. Send Flowers to Someone for No Reason
I seriously do not think sending flowers is ever a bad idea! Ever.
We recently received a few bouquets from some sweet people in our lives from Farm Girl Flowers after the loss of our loved one. Can I just tell you – the packaging alone is worth using this company. I promise you – you will love this company as much as I do already!
Another favorite of mine is Urban Stems Flowers. I have ordered plenty of bouquets from them over the last couple of years – in fact – many for myself!
So this random act of kindness is perfectly acceptable to DO FOR YOURSELF! It is an indulgence that will quite likely give you a smile ;).
Below is one of my favorite arrangements from Urban Stems that I admittedly have ordered for myself to arrive this week ;).
3. Leave a Sweet Note on Someone’s Car Windshield
Has this ever happened to you? I mean a nice letter not a mean one telling you you are a horrible parker (yup – gotten a few of those in my days…).
When my husband and I were just dating, he would leave little notes on my car. Funny how often you can get those sweet notes right when you need them most – isn’t it?
He has recently started doing this again on my car dashboard and it just touches my heart that he still wants to make the little efforts 35 years later ;).
You can do this for anyone – friend, neighbor, stranger – it’s easy!!
4. Let Someone Cut in Front of You in Line
Seriously the best feeling ever! Especially if you are someone like me and ALWAYS have an overly full cart. I do this kindness act a lot and let me tell you – it just feels right :).
5. Hide a Love Note
OMG. Love this! My husband is THE BEST at this! Like really really good at it… I wish I could say I do the same but nope.
But maybe I will get my act together now that I am typing this blog post???
6. Make Dinner for a Family in Need
When our loved one passed away last year – my family was on the receiving end of this act of kindness and let me tell you how touched we were.
We had just gotten home from helping our loved one’s family in a different state with the death and immediately jumped in to start planning the memorial.
Pizza and take out tacos had become a staple in my house.
So when a kind community member insisted on bringing us a home cooked meal – I felt guilty but also relieved.
This just happened AGAIN for my husband and I as a friend of ours recognized how frustratingly neverending the pandemic can feel for frontliners and their families (as we are). I honestly started crying when this friend brought us that meal.
You just might have someone in your own life that would appreciate the kindness of a meal more than you could ever know. It signifies you are thinking of them and just want them to know you care.
I myself have been doing this as well for a neighbor who has had some pretty significantly sad events happen in his life recently. And every single time I do so – I leave feeling joyful.
We have even been inviting this newly widowed friend and neighbor over to our house for dinner often. And with 100% honesty, I can tell you it is my husband and I who are benefiting the most from these shared meals ;).
7. Help Someone in a Jam
As long as I am writing about how I personally have been the recipient of random acts of kindness, I would be remiss to not mention the incredible acts of kindness over 25 church members showed my family in the spring of 2020 when we had a massive mudslide in our backyard.
To this day, I honestly do not even know most of the names of the people that came with their wheelbarrows and helped us dig out 10 dump truck loads of mud from my pool and backyard.
But I will NEVER EVER forget that they came to help.
Now that is the biggest form of an act of kindness that anyone could ever receive… (and on the off chance that any of my blog subscribers are actually people that DID come and help us – THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!)
Someone, somewhere in your life needs a couple extra hands – be those hands ;).
8. Pray for Someone in Need
I am not a super religious person but I do have faith and I will turn to prayer often.
It just feels good.
And when I know there are so many people out there that need our prayers (now more than ever!) – this one really doesn’t cost anything to do.
9. Pay for the Person Behind You in Line at the Counter or Drive-through
We have all seen this one on tv – right? Personally I have never experienced this or done it but have always wanted to… so guess what I will be doing this week???!!
10. Let Someone into Your Lane on the Highway
Isn’t this the best???
I mean – don’t you feel awesome when you wave that person in to your lane while driving?
I kinda feel like we are friends once I do that friendly wave… we are – right??
And FYI – the complete opposite of this is NOT letting someone in to your lane… that is kinda the worst… don’t be that person.
11. Make Someone Laugh
I am absolutely HORRIBLE at joke telling… but meme sharing? Yup – I got you. In case you don’t know what memes are – let me share some with you:
The easiest place to find these funny memes is on Instagram or from Google. I send my family memes on Instagram at least once a week.
Oh – and hopefully you are following me on Instagram cuz my stories over there almost ALWAYS have a meme or two in them 😂.
12. Talk to the Shy One at the Event
Have you ever walked in to a room and felt super uncomfortable because it just seems there is no one there for you to talk to?
Just me? I doubt it.
Well here is your chance to make someone feel not so awkward. Find that wallflower and make them feel at ease :).
I would be SHOCKED if it didn’t make their day ;).
13. Hold the Elevator or Door for Someone
This seems to me to just be proper manners… but nonetheless, it absolutely counts as an act of kindness.
Plus I love it when it happens for me :).
14. Add Time to Someone’s Parking Meter
Love this one! Feels sooooo good to help a fellow driver out to not get a ticket – doesn’t it?
I mean really – parking tickets are the worst!
15. Say Something Encouraging to that Person You See Struggling
How often are you someplace and you see a parent struggling with their kids?
Or anyone being challenged by a physical situation – whether because of medical impairments or otherwise?
Now is the time to give those words of encouragement to those people.
Trust me – they need to hear them! At least I know from experience – that struggling mom needs words of encouragement :)!
16. Smile at Someone That Looks Like They Need a Smile
Just always do this. Although currently many places in the world are still wearing masks due to the international pandemic but when that stops – hopefully the smiling at each other can start right up again…
17. Offer to Take a Photo of Someone Attempting to Take an Awkward Selfie
When I am traveling and want a good photo of me and whoever I am traveling with – it’s always soooo uncomfortable asking a stranger to stop and take that photo for me.
A few times, I have had strangers walking by offer to take my photo. And OMG this is the best! Why don’t more people offer to do this???
Now I pretty much always offer to take that photo for other people – and you know what? It is always filled with fun convo and laughs! And so fun to talk to people when you are traveling!
18. Last and Certainly Not Least – BE KIND TO YOURSELF
We all know our own love language (and if you don’t know what those are – go read about them!) – so why aren’t we speaking our love language to ourselves?
Is yours quality time? Then spend some time with yourself doing something you love!
Is it words of affirmation – then say nice things to yourself…
Just do yourself a favor – and be kind to yourself!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post helping you find easy ways to spread kindness. Random acts of kindness week is such a beautiful time of year to be there for each other and make the world a better place :).
I hope you find kindness in places you least expect it but need it the most ;).
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Have a wonderful day my friend! I hope something makes you smile today ;).
Thanh you so very kindly pasha for taking the time to write these tips for spreading kindness. You are such an awesome reminder of kindness. May you be the recipient of an random act of love. You are so deserving!!💕🌸💕🌸
Oh Tammy – thank YOU for being such kind woman!!! You are so deserving as well ;)!!
Pasha, I love these random acts of kindness ideas! My favorite is leaving a note on a neighbors windshield! I’m going to do this! 💗 The peonies photo is beautiful 😉🙏💫💕💕