Random Acts of Kindness Challenge (Be a Day Maker)

If you’ve ever met me, it’s no secret that I care about community service. I’m all about doing what you can to help other people, because you truly never know what is going on in any one else’s life. You could be the difference in turning someone else’s life around. Maybe you won’t have that dramatic of an effect every time. But just opening the door for someone else or smiling at a stranger could brighten his or her day. You could be a day maker.

So I rarely ask for favors, but this one is pretty important to me. My birthday’s coming up. What comes to your mind when you think of birthdays? Cake. Presents. Friends. Family parties. Silly hats. Candles in the shapes of numbers. Maybe for some: dread, another year of 29, or perhaps, you forget it’s your birthday. Yeah, I’ve talked to someone who forgot his own birthday. It just so happens he has the same birthday as I do! But we are polar opposites, because I start looking forward to my birthday like six months in advance.

 

But I digress. The point is birthdays are supposed to be fun. They are way to celebrate the fact that you made it through another year on this cool place we like to call planet Earth. I read a book a few months ago called The Perks of Being a Wallflower (You may have seen a post I wrote about it in the past). The main character talks about how he thinks he should give his mom a present every year for bringing him into this world instead of getting presents.

 

So for my birthday I have an idea of what I would like—which is always the hardest part for me. My challenge for you is to do a random act of kindness every day until February 17^th. I’m not saying it has to stop there, and if you get the same feeling I do out of it, it won’t. But remember: it doesn’t have to be something big.

 

Just make a conscious effort every day between now and then to do something nice for someone else. Ideally, these people would be acquaintances or even strangers you encounter on your daily routine. But doing things for friends and family is amazing as well.

 

And one more thing: if on February 17^th I saw comments about what you guys did to make other people’s days (anonymous or otherwise) it just might make my day. J

 

(My first act: I made a poster for my younger step-sister wishing her luck for her solo in her choir concert tonight.)

 

Ideas:

• Make someone in your house breakfast. (Even pouring someone in a  rush a bowl of cereal can be helpful)
• Open the door for someone.
• Smile.
• Offer to help carry something.
• Compliment people. (They’ll eat it up! And you just might get one back.)
• Be observant. (Some people just want to be noticed or want people to notice something specifically).
• Pick up something someone dropped.
• Offer to run an errand for someone.
• Help your parents cook dinner.
• Do the laundry.