Random Acts of Kindness

[Marjo]

Hi guys,

Random Acts of Kindness Day is celebrated yearly on this day. It's centered around this date, however the message this non-profit who created it wants to bring across is to start practising kindness all-year-round in schools, workplaces and in society in general to make meaningful changes, and to make kindness "the norm."

More info

If you want to get inspired with some kindness ideas, they list some great ideas here. Note that it also lists some ways to show yourself kindness as well, not just other people, which I think is also super important for our own well-being.

There is a lovely short (about 2 min) video as well on the 'science of kindness' which talks about scientifically-proven benefits of being kind which I found interesting:

I wanted to ask you guys if you've ever been the recipient of a random act of kindness (big or small) that made you feel good, and/or done any of them yourself?

To answer my own question there, what always comes to mind when I think of 'RAK' is something small and simple: when a stranger on the street pointed out to me that the bus stop I was waiting at was actually closed, and no buses would stop there. I hadn't noticed and had stood there for a while already, wasting my time, with loads of people passing by. I very much appreciated the guy telling me. I did the same when I next walked past and the stop was still closed with someone waiting, and it felt really good seeing how appreciative they were of this small act that only took me a few seconds. 

[liggerz87]

Iv done it once I was in co OP and had just been paid someone was like 5 pound short so I said add the rest to my card and he was very grateful I went back to co op a few days later and woman at till goes were you the one that paid for guy and I went ye he had left the cash to pay me back with them lol

[TallTrees]

Yes definitely @Marjo 

I was mentioning it under "Friendship" on the Cleoriff Valentines post.

Helped by a person when I was a teenager and my car had a puncture.  He was going to an evening party as all dressed up, no matter, he got out and put the spare tyre on for me ~ fantastic Giant kindness.

Helped when struggling up Waste Disposal Site steps by unknown person took the bag and threw it in for me!  Brilliant help.

There are many kind people out there ~ and yes I have helped unknown people too and it made me feel great.

[Cleoriff]

I have been helped on numerous occasions by kind people. Too many to mention really.

I hope I have returned the favour.

The late Caroline Flack once said " In a world where you can be anything, be kind"

Particularly poignant now as she committed suicide two days ago. That quote and the hashtag #bekind has been adopted by many on social media.

[Anonymous]

This year I’ve tried to be kinder to the environment. On top of my recycling duties I now try to pick up one piece of litter every time I go out for a walk. I try to make it a can or a paper cup.. something I know that can be recycled.

Most of the time you get weird looks & comments because you’ve picked stuff off the ground. It makes me feel like I’ve done a little something extra!

[Cleoriff]

That's great @Anonymous 

Being kind to the environment is something I have been trying to do as well. Given up bottled water completely and just use it out of the tap in a re-usable container. Using re-usable bags all the time, Recycling as much as I can.

Every little helps.

As I can no longer fly anywhere I have reduced my carbon footprint. These may not be classed as random acts but it is being kind to the environment.

[Anonymous]

The bottled water thing, that’s a huge step @Cleoriff a £1 a time at our shop so that’s a fortune saved as well. Nice one!

My mate gave me a foldable bag thing and I use that 99% of the time. There's only a few times I've been caught out and had to buy a reusable one. 15p!!! It irks me!! More of an incentive to think ahead and bring my bag! 

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:

The bottled water thing, that’s a huge step @Cleoriff a £1 a time at our shop so that’s a fortune saved as well. Nice one!

My mate gave me a foldable bag thing and I use that 99% of the time. There's only a few times I've been caught out and had to buy a reusable one. 15p!!! It irks me!! More of an incentive to think ahead and bring my bag! 

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Yes we have numerous bags for life in the boot of the car. Always there if you go out and decide to pop and do some shopping.

[jonsie]

My neighbour across the road usually asks me if I need anything when he walks to the local shop.

Last month I mentioned I missed going to the pub. He took me down in the car and told me to ring him when I wanted to come home.

When I was confined to the wheelchair it was amazing how people went out of their way to help, one guy helped me across the road at the traffic lights and even pushed me down to the little Tesco.

Small things but it goes to show that the majority of people are kind-hearted.

As for supermarket bags, I always take my own and have done so for years. I recycle 95% of things although I'm not always sure that the government actually recycle it correctly I think we have seen pictures of UK container ships carrying rubbish up rivers. Many countries accept landfill from the UK but that only transfers the problem.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46566795

A woman collecting plastic at a waste dump in Indonesia - in the year to October, the country received 63,000 tonnes of UK plastic

[Anonymous]

Today i organised for BHF to pick up my tv unit, an outdoor beanbag & a DVD player..

Also I helped out an old tramp with a few quid