By Lindsey Rodrian
Have you ever pulled up to a drive through window to discover the person in front of you paid for your order? I haven’t…but…wouldn’t that be the best? Wouldn’t it turn an OK day into something better, adding a little pep in your step as you sport a ferocious smile? What a kind human that was in front of you.
Each year we dedicate a week in February to something we should truly practice throughout the year: random acts of kindness. In full support of the “kindness movement,” The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation aims to help everyone create a better world through awareness and inspiration. Visit their site for a plethora of stories, lessons, studies, and more. In honor of this week, we’ve picked five acts sure to brighten someone’s day, making you that kind stranger on the street.
- Compliment a stranger
Pumping up a passerby is a great way to participate in the kindness movement. A boost of confidence from a stranger is sure to make anyone feel extra good. Whether it is a “Cute jacket!” or a bold, “Beautiful smile!” your random act of acknowledgement might be just what that person needed. Take it a step further and keep it in the same sex circle. Women empowering women never goes out of style, and vice versa.
- Clean up an elderly neighbor’s yard
With all the wind and fog this season yard maintenance can be quite a hassle especially for the elderly. Consider spending a few hours on a Saturday raking and bagging leaves, moving the grass and tidying up bushes and plants of a neighbors yard. Make sure to put all yard waste in the designated yard waste bin, and kick your kindness up a notch as you help the environment as well.
- Make eye contact and smile
It may seem strange, but there’s a sincerity and kindness found in locking eyes and sending a smile to a passerby, a clerk, waitress, or anyone and everyone you encounter as you walk to lunch, or through the parking lot at the grocery. Every life on this earth deserves to be acknowledged and sadly, people today are making less and less eye contact. Let someone know they are seen. They matter.
- Let someone cut you in line
If you’re standing in line with a cart full of goodies, consider inviting someone with a child, a small amount of items, or just anyone at all to jump in front of you in line. They’ll be grateful and appreciative.
- Create care packages for the homeless
Next time you pass someone asking for a monetary donation, or pull up to a someone holding a sign on the street- reach in the back seat and pull out a little care package. Spend a day at the store picking up things like travel size shampoos, Chap Stick, cold medicine, vitamins, granola bars, socks, and the sorts. Make up some little bags of items and keep them in the back of your car for such opportunities.