Random Acts of Kindness, or RAK, is a selfless act that is performed by one person to either help or cheer up a stranger, for no apparent reason other than to make the other person happier. The official RAK Day is right around the corner on February 17th, here are some simple ways in which YOU can spread kindness to those around you.
1. Tweet/message/text a genuine compliment to 3 people right now. You don’t know what their day has been like, and by sending a compliment to them, you may have just made their day a whole lot better.
2. If you walk by a car on the way to class and notice that their meter is expired or is going to expire, put a quarter in it. Everyone understands that having to run from class to put money in the meter is not the best situation, so help a person out and save them the parking ticket.
3. Smile at someone you see on the street, just because. One smile can make a difference to a person’s day, even their whole week.
4. Allow someone into your lane. They’re probably in a rush just like you. You don’t know where they are going, but be the person that allows them to get there a bit earlier than what they were expecting.
5. Be the person who puts a tip in the tip jar at the café you frequent (less people tip than you’d think!)
6. Loan someone a book that you think they would like. By doing this, your friend knows that you have selected a book that you enjoyed and you hope that they will enjoy it just as much as they did.
7. Cover mirrors in the restrooms with sticky notes that have positive messages and quotes on them. Everyone faces self-doubt at some point in their life, and little helpful reminders or kind words can brighten up a person’s day.
8. Give up your seat to someone, anyone, on the bus.
9. Do the dishes, even if it is your roommate’s turn.
10. When you hear a discouraging voice in your head saying you can’t do something, push it away – you deserve kindness too!
Interested in learning more about Project Random Acts of Kindness and becoming a Raktivist (person who spreads RAK)? Be sure to check out their website https://www.randomactsofkindness.org to read more about it! Have fun and be the change you wish to see in the world.