Why Random Acts of Kindness Week is Worth the Time and Effort
First, it’s really not so much effort.
It’s completely understandable if the pandemic, politics, and personal pressures have been consuming most of your time and headspace. The beauty of this special day is that there is no lead-up, no shopping, no decorating involved. All you have to do is keep your eyes peeled and your heart open. Who needs you? Who expressed a need you could fill? What act of appreciation have you been meaning to get to, but haven’t made the time?
February 17 is the day to start.
Second, the “Golden Rule” feels really good.
If you haven’t heard, applied, or invested in treating people as you’d like to be treated in a while, don’t forgo the experience any longer. Fold it into your goals for the day or make it an addendum to those New Year resolutions. Your mother was right after all, you will feel better about yourself when you treat your neighbor kindly.
Therapists agree; the benefits of kindness include the following:
Consideration for others boosts your own energy and self-esteem.
Altruism and compassion make you happier and more content.
Acts of charity and service are beneficial to your physical health.
Generosity and empathy improve emotional well-being.
Benevolence helps reduce stress and negativity.
Third, RAK Week is the perfect time to practice paying it forward.
As you contemplate how to celebrate and participate in RAK Week, consider the kindnesses that you’ve been shown since last February. So much has happened to change us and our relationships. No one has been unaffected. There has been grief and the chance to grow closer. There has been struggle and a chance to grown stronger. Whatever the circumstances, there may have been some key moments of love, gratitude, hope, and support you were shown along the way.
When you have been in need, who showed up for you? When alone, how did you draw upon inner resources you didn’t know you had? Take time to write them down. Then, why not go out and show the world a bit of that same grace and mercy?
How to Observe Random Acts of Kindness Week
Need some concrete ideas for meeting the kindness quotient each day? No problem.
Of course, as the word “random implies, there is an infinite number of ways to observe the day. However, you can get some inspiration from randomactsofkindness.org. Or visit social media platforms for ideas. Try these hashtags: #RandomActsofKindnessWeek, #RAKday.
Finally, remember that the aim of Random Acts of Kindness Week is to transform your thinking and that of others in our families, communities, and society at large through a generosity of spirit. There are a million causes with which to align yourself. Choosing to participate here first, just might guide your heart and mind when it comes to others.
So, send an encouraging note to the elderly couple next door. Pay for the next guy in line. Deliver a bag of groceries to the single mom down the street. In a world so in conflict, choose to not be easily offended by the imperfections in others. Believe again that kindness can soothe and calm the world. You are an important part of making that happen.
After a year of strife and relationship disconnect, a renewed focus on kindness may be the best way forward. With the holidays well past and the blush of Valentine’s Day fading, the remaining weeks of winter may feel long and dreary until spring finally arrives.
At times, you may need your spirits raised and your faith in humanity restored. Often, the best way to do this is to actively take part in that restoration.
What’s the easiest way to start? February 17, 2021, the day that kicks off Random Acts of Kindness Week.
This effort was first designated as Random Acts Of Kindness Day in Denver, Colorado in 1995. Later, it became Random Acts of Kindness Week in 2018.
A whole week devoted to random acts of kindness? Yes! Not only is there a week devoted to being unexpectedly kind, but that period can act as a launch point for the daily, intentional kindness we may have lost along the way.
Why Random Acts of Kindness Week is Worth the Time and Effort
First, it’s really not so much effort.
It’s completely understandable if the pandemic, politics, and personal pressures have been consuming most of your time and headspace. The beauty of this special day is that there is no lead-up, no shopping, no decorating involved. All you have to do is keep your eyes peeled and your heart open. Who needs you? Who expressed a need you could fill? What act of appreciation have you been meaning to get to, but haven’t made the time?
February 17 is the day to start.
Second, the “Golden Rule” feels really good.
If you haven’t heard, applied, or invested in treating people as you’d like to be treated in a while, don’t forgo the experience any longer. Fold it into your goals for the day or make it an addendum to those New Year resolutions. Your mother was right after all, you will feel better about yourself when you treat your neighbor kindly.
Therapists agree; the benefits of kindness include the following:
Consideration for others boosts your own energy and self-esteem.
Altruism and compassion make you happier and more content.
Acts of charity and service are beneficial to your physical health.
Generosity and empathy improve emotional well-being.
Benevolence helps reduce stress and negativity.
Third, RAK Week is the perfect time to practice paying it forward.
As you contemplate how to celebrate and participate in RAK Week, consider the kindnesses that you’ve been shown since last February. So much has happened to change us and our relationships. No one has been unaffected. There has been grief and the chance to grow closer. There has been struggle and a chance to grown stronger. Whatever the circumstances, there may have been some key moments of love, gratitude, hope, and support you were shown along the way.
When you have been in need, who showed up for you? When alone, how did you draw upon inner resources you didn’t know you had? Take time to write them down. Then, why not go out and show the world a bit of that same grace and mercy?
How to Observe Random Acts of Kindness Week
Need some concrete ideas for meeting the kindness quotient each day? No problem.
Of course, as the word “random implies, there is an infinite number of ways to observe the day. However, you can get some inspiration from randomactsofkindness.org. Or visit social media platforms for ideas. Try these hashtags: #RandomActsofKindnessWeek, #RAKday.
Finally, remember that the aim of Random Acts of Kindness Week is to transform your thinking and that of others in our families, communities, and society at large through a generosity of spirit. There are a million causes with which to align yourself. Choosing to participate here first, just might guide your heart and mind when it comes to others.
So, send an encouraging note to the elderly couple next door. Pay for the next guy in line. Deliver a bag of groceries to the single mom down the street. In a world so in conflict, choose to not be easily offended by the imperfections in others. Believe again that kindness can soothe and calm the world. You are an important part of making that happen.
After a year of strife and relationship disconnect, a renewed focus on kindness may be the best way forward. With the holidays well past and the blush of Valentine’s Day fading, the remaining weeks of winter may feel long and dreary until spring finally arrives.
At times, you may need your spirits raised and your faith in humanity restored. Often, the best way to do this is to actively take part in that restoration.
What’s the easiest way to start? February 17, 2021, the day that kicks off Random Acts of Kindness Week.
This effort was first designated as Random Acts Of Kindness Day in Denver, Colorado in 1995. Later, it became Random Acts of Kindness Week in 2018.
A whole week devoted to random acts of kindness? Yes! Not only is there a week devoted to being unexpectedly kind, but that period can act as a launch point for the daily, intentional kindness we may have lost along the way.
Why Random Acts of Kindness Week is Worth the Time and Effort
First, it’s really not so much effort.
It’s completely understandable if the pandemic, politics, and personal pressures have been consuming most of your time and headspace. The beauty of this special day is that there is no lead-up, no shopping, no decorating involved. All you have to do is keep your eyes peeled and your heart open. Who needs you? Who expressed a need you could fill? What act of appreciation have you been meaning to get to, but haven’t made the time?
February 17 is the day to start.
Second, the “Golden Rule” feels really good.
If you haven’t heard, applied, or invested in treating people as you’d like to be treated in a while, don’t forgo the experience any longer. Fold it into your goals for the day or make it an addendum to those New Year resolutions. Your mother was right after all, you will feel better about yourself when you treat your neighbor kindly.
Therapists agree; the benefits of kindness include the following:
Consideration for others boosts your own energy and self-esteem.
Altruism and compassion make you happier and more content.
Acts of charity and service are beneficial to your physical health.
Generosity and empathy improve emotional well-being.
Benevolence helps reduce stress and negativity.
Third, RAK Week is the perfect time to practice paying it forward.
As you contemplate how to celebrate and participate in RAK Week, consider the kindnesses that you’ve been shown since last February. So much has happened to change us and our relationships. No one has been unaffected. There has been grief and the chance to grow closer. There has been struggle and a chance to grown stronger. Whatever the circumstances, there may have been some key moments of love, gratitude, hope, and support you were shown along the way.
When you have been in need, who showed up for you? When alone, how did you draw upon inner resources you didn’t know you had? Take time to write them down. Then, why not go out and show the world a bit of that same grace and mercy?
How to Observe Random Acts of Kindness Week
Need some concrete ideas for meeting the kindness quotient each day? No problem.
Of course, as the word “random implies, there is an infinite number of ways to observe the day. However, you can get some inspiration from randomactsofkindness.org. Or visit social media platforms for ideas. Try these hashtags: #RandomActsofKindnessWeek, #RAKday.
Finally, remember that the aim of Random Acts of Kindness Week is to transform your thinking and that of others in our families, communities, and society at large through a generosity of spirit. There are a million causes with which to align yourself. Choosing to participate here first, just might guide your heart and mind when it comes to others.
So, send an encouraging note to the elderly couple next door. Pay for the next guy in line. Deliver a bag of groceries to the single mom down the street. In a world so in conflict, choose to not be easily offended by the imperfections in others. Believe again that kindness can soothe and calm the world. You are an important part of making that happen.
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