This list is a rehash of a post from three years ago and since Friday February 17th is National Random Acts of Good Day, I thought it was worth a repost! To me, the most attractive quality in other humans is kindness. Loyalty, honesty, and a great sense of humor are great traits to have, but I always measure how close someone is in my life by how kind they are to their fellow human beings.
We live in a fast-paced society where we make getting busy and to-do lists a priority, but we all have an hour or two out of our schedule to practice kindness. To celebrate Random Act of Kindness Day, I’m offering you these fifty ideas to choose from. 🙂
buy coffee for the person behind you in line
offer to walk someone’s dog
write a heartful note or text to a friend to remind them why they are important to you
bringing cookies to a nursing home
compliment foreigners
keep care packages in your car to distribute to the homeless
wrote letters of thanks to men and women in the armed forces
spending time with elderly relatives or helping elderly neighbors
give up your seat on the bus or train
offering help to someone in a stranded car
send someone a song with the caption “thinking of you!”
volunteer for a nonprofit once a month
stop and buy lemonade from kids with lemonade stand
donated books and gifts to a children’s hospital
teach a child who is struggling in school
bring bagels and spreads or snacks for your coworkers
tip your waiter generously
pay one’s delinquent library fees
donate school equipment to the classroom
give your umbrella or jacket to a stranger
give a grocery gift card to someone who is struggling financially
plant a tree
sitting down with someone new over lunch at work or school
offer to share the table with someone dining alone
bring flowers for someone you know needs cheering up
tell someone how great their hair or dress looked today
call up an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a long time
Send printed photos of grandchildren to grandparents
delivering plants to your spouse or partner’s office
shovel your neighbor’s driveway
offer to mow your neighbor’s lawn
leave sticky notes in strangers cars wishing them a nice day
donate backpacks or school supplies to struggling families
plan a “kids are boss” day where the kids make the rules
tell the regular people who help you (baristas, shop clerks, bouncers) that they matter
offer to babysit or sit a pet for free
offer to pick up items for family and friends at the grocery store or Costco run
sign up to be my eye to help the blind
pick up someone’s dry cleaning
sign up for Amazon smile to give % to charity
texting or calling someone just to ask “how are you today?”
offering to cook someone’s meal during a hard time
invite a friend for a mani or pedi as an opportunity to catch up
pay the toll for the people behind you
put the change in the expired meter
helping someone with heavy bags at the airport
offer your table in a busy restaurant
check-in with someone who is sick
write positive recommendations for local businesses
give someone a big warm hug!
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Pick a few from the list and get busy spreading kindness!
