RAK

RAK = Random Acts of Kindness

In this month's Woman's Day magazine (pg 60) is an article on "How To Make Someone's Day" with random acts of kindness. What are random acts of kindness? Creative ways to make someone's day, usually a stranger. You do something for someone for absolutely no reason. Small kindnesses for no other reason than to make someone smile and lift their spirits.

There are some new commercials that show someone helping a stranger while someone else happens to witness it. It encourages them to do an act of kindness to someone too. It spreads and multiplies. I like these commercials. It's the opposite of the "Kick the dog" syndrome. You know, boss yells at employee, employee yells at spouse, spouse yells at child, child kicks the dog. An infectious meanness, multiplying rudeness, misdirected anger. Hopefully someone's random act of kindness will lead to infectious kindness, multiplying gracious acts, misdirected forgiveness!

Here are some examples:

Paying for a stranger's meal at a restaurant
Leaving a coupon for a free meal at your neighbor's door
Mowing the grass for the elderly couple down the street
Compliment a stranger
Take a dozen donuts with you to the doctor's office
Let someone ahead of you in the waiting line
Send a "Thinking of You" card to someone
Write a letter of thank you to a serviceman
Recycle your magazines by taking them to your doctor's office, or your hair dresser's, or the women's prison, etc.
Smile at the checkout girl and show you recognize she is a human being
Leave a good tip at the restaurant

I challenge you to think of 2 RAK's and follow through and do them this week. It makes you feel good inside!