Random Acts of Kindness

This has also been posted on http://raok.posterous.com/

The tragic events of the Victorian bushfires on February 7, 2009, when 173 people lost their lives, saw a huge outpouring of generosity from people throughout the world.

The Australian Red Cross collected more than $315 million to help the survivors of this heart-breaking event at a time when people felt truly helpless, so they did what they could – gave money.

The power of humanity was like a tidal wave, whose rippling effect was felt by millions on this planet.

But we don’t need an event like this, or the Italian earthquake, or September 11, to show others we care. Random acts of kindness occur every day – and it’s up to us to keep those ripples of compassion going.

So smile at a stranger,

Cook a meal for new parents or a friend who is sick,

Spend some time reading a book that inspired you as a child to the children in your life,

Find a pen pal and send them hand-written letters,

Decorate your office with flowers, balloons and streamers to brighten your workmates’ days,

Join in a spot of Guerrilla Gardening,

Invite a neighbour you haven’t met properly over for afternoon tea,

Share your knowledge with someone to increase theirs,

Buy a bunch of flowers and hand them out to complete strangers,

Send a card to a friend for no reason other than you cherish their friendship,

Or buy a round of chocolate for the regulars at your bus stop on a cold morning.

Whatever your random act of kindness, know it will keep those ripples going, because the recipient will smile and tell someone else and they will tell another person. Your one simple act then brightens the lives of multiples of people.

And they will be inspired to perform their own random acts of kindness.

Just think of how your small ripple began with you making someone else’s day just for the fun of it – and what it could become if we all chose one random act.

Imagine what it could be if we performed a random act of kindness every month, every week or every day…