The world could use a little more kindness, and more and more people have joined the movement to make kindness the norm. Random acts of kindness (RAOK) are popping up everywhere! From schools, workplaces, and everywhere in between, people are making a conscious effort to be more kind to one another and spread joy. If we challenge ourselves to do one random act of kindness each day, we will spread kindness like wildflowers.
About Random Acts Of Kindness
Kindness is more than just being nice to others. Kindness is more of a selfless act that shows the recipient that you care. It requires empathy and compassion. Sometimes it means you will put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand what they are going through and how you can help meet their needs. RAOK’s don’t have to be big elaborate gestures. Sometimes the simplest and small acts of kindness are enough to bring a smile to another’s face. It can make someone’s day just to know that they are “seen” and loved.
Take the Challenge: Do One RAOK Each Day
Are you ready to be a joy-spreader? If you are looking for inspiration on ways to spread kindness, there are so many resources available. Teach children how to get involved as well. Make it a family thing, and encourage your friends’ involvement, as well. Challenge and support each other to do one RAOK each day and make it fun. Share your stories of how you were the recipient of RAOK’s. Or post how your RAOK helped others to your social media accounts to inspire others to join the challenge. A great idea is to make a Facebook group dedicated to the RAOK Challenge. Have the group members share what RAOK’s they did. It can also be a place where they can recruit others to help if the RAOK they want to do requires help from others to join them, such as donations to someone in need or to fix up the property of an older adult who needs assistance.
People love to do “challenges,” especially when it is for the greater good of others and even themselves. There are many benefits to doing RAOK’s, and the benefits reach more than the person on the receiving end. Sometimes people need an incentive or a “nudge” to step out of their comfort zone and take action, so doing a RAOK Challenge may be just the thing that will inspire you.
What’s Holding You Back?
If you find yourself holding back from doing RAOK’s or making it a part of your daily routine, take a moment to examine what may be holding you back. If you feel like there isn’t enough opportunity in your life to do them, I can assure you that there are plenty of things you can do. You just need to start. Visit my blog post for ideas of simple RAOK’s you can do to get started. Once you get started, doing a simple daily RAOK will get you in the habit, and it will become second nature.
Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone And Do A RAOK Today
If you think you will give it a try, I would say don’t put it off until tomorrow. Start TODAY! The longer you wait to start a challenge or a new habit, the harder it will be to get started. You might even forget about it. So, now is the time to start.
You may feel a little awkward at first. But, it will get easier once you see the reaction of all of the good you are doing to make someone’s day. If you are shy or introverted, it may take some effort for you to step out of your own world and look into someone else’s world. If you approach a stranger and offer to do a kind deed for them, you may experience some suspicion or skepticism. Don’t take it personally if you experience this. Just move on to the next RAOK if someone is not open to it or it makes them uncomfortable. They may not be used to people’s offers to do nice things for them. Those are the people that need RAOK’s the most, so they can see that there are still caring people in the world who see them and care about them. However, if it makes someone uncomfortable, it’s best not to push or force it on them. Just don’t let it discourage you. There are so many people out there who need kindness and compassion and need the gifts you have to offer.
Are you ready to start your own RAOK daily challenge? What are some of the RAOK’s you will do to get started?