February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. There may be a national day dedicated to it, but you should try to perform one everyday. Sometimes you may think that your kindness is taken for granted, but it never is. No matter if someone expresses their gratitude towards you, it can almost be guaranteed that your kindness brightened their day. Here are some random acts of kindness to get you started:
Give someone a compliment.
This can be to your friend, family member, or even a stranger. No one minds being told something nice about themselves! You can compliment them about anything (of course, sincerely), and it only takes a few seconds. It’s so simple so why not try to make someone’s day better? Your compliment may be the one thing they need to cheer up them up or make their day a little bit better.
Send a text of gratitude to a friend, family member, or someone else you appreciate.
You never know what your words can mean to someone. You may think that someone that you’re grateful for already knows how much you mean to them, but you would be surprised that they might not actually know. They might not know that you actually listen to what they say or notice what they do. Taking the time to do this not only makes the other person happier, but it also makes you realize what you have to be grateful for.
Donate to charity.
Donate to a charity! It can be whatever the amount of money you can. Every little bit that you’re donating makes a difference. It’s especially meaningful when you’re donating to a cause that you have a special connection with. There are numerous ones to choose on depending on what you’re looking to donate to. You may want to save this money for yourself for something you really want like that cute shirt, boots, etc, but it’s worth it to donate this money instead where it will be truly used to make a difference.
Make cards for hospitalized children.
You can have your friends join you to make even more cards! You can contact a hospital in your local area to find out if you can send your cards there, or you can send it through an organization. A specific one is Cards for Hospitalized Kids. Taking the time to send these children will mean more to them than you can imagine. For Valentine’s Day, I made a card online (super easy!) to have it printed out for a hospital to give to children. Even by just creating one online, I felt great knowing that my card would be given to one of these children.
Kindness isn’t just one grand gesture. It’s about the little acts of it that you do. Seek out an opportunity to help someone everyday! You may never know how much they truly need it. Every small interaction of kindness with someone is a chance to have a positive impact on both of your lives.