February 17 National Random Acts of Kindness Day

The world can be a very heavy place. When you turn on the news, you see war, famine, anger, and despair. Just a quick scroll on any social media platform will show you division, hatred, and fear of the unknown. People are hurting, and it feels like the world is more divided now than ever before. It is easy to get bogged down with all of the negativity, and it has been scientifically proven that our brains find it easier to focus on negativity and negative patterns than positive ones.  It is easy to forget all of the beauty in the world and in each other. What can one person do to help? We can be kind. February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. And this year, more than ever, is a year that we need to celebrate being kind above all else.

Did you know that there was a Random Acts of Kindness Foundation? It is 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission of making kindness the norm. This organization, based out of Denver, Colorado launched in 1995 drawing inspiration from the late American journalist and author Anne Herbert’s phrase, “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty”. Their website is amazing. It is chock full of free resources for parents, teachers, and anyone looking for ways to be kind. They have 2026 downloadable calendars filled out with simple ideas you can do each day. For example, the message for February 19 is to “drop a surprise note in a library book.” and July 14 suggests you “hold doors open, smile at strangers, and give genuine compliments all day long.” You can download this calendar by clicking here. They also have posters, coloring pages, and so many more things for you to explore. The website is very user friendly and is full of positivity. One quote on their website states, “When we choose kindness, our brains light up with oxytocin, dopamine, and connection; reminding us that kindness is not just good for the world, it is good for us.” 

So how does one celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Day? By being kind of course. Hopefully you already find ways each day to be kind to your fellow human beings, but on February 19, I challenge you to make a deliberate effort to go above and beyond everyday kindness to do something nice for someone you know or someone you do not know.  Here are some suggestions on things you can do on National Random Acts of Kindness Day:

• Hold the door open for someone.
• Let somebody merge in front of you in traffic.
• Bring your coworkers treats (the holiday falls on Fat Tuesday this year- so you can bring them paczkis from Johan’s Pastry Shop!). 
• Text/email/write someone a note telling them that you are thinking about them or what you appreciate about them.
• Pay for someone’s coffee or meal.
• Shovel/plow a neighbor’s driveway or walkway.
• Wipe the snow off of a random car (make sure the car is parked at the time).
• Take your neighbors baked goods or another homemade treat.
• Pick up a small, thoughtful gift like a sticker or button from your favorite gift shop, Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts to give to a friend, coworker, or stranger.

Finally, I want to wrap up this blog with some of my favorite kindness quotes:

1. “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” – Unknown although usually credited to Caroline Flack, Clare Pooley or Jennifer Dukes Lee
2. “It takes courage to be kind.” – Maya Angelou
3. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” -Wendy Mass
4. “In the face of isolationism, protectionism, racism—the simple concept of looking outwardly and beyond ourselves, of kindness and collectivism, might just be as good a starting point as any.” Jacinda Ardern
5. “Kindness is not an afterthought to our work. It is the driving power for everything we do. It is the lens we view every challenge through. To me, almost every problem you can think of can be solved with kindness.” – Lady Gaga
6. “Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.” – Roy T. Bennett