Topical Tuesday - Acts of Kindess!

[gina-Ro]

After a small hiatus Topical Tuesdays are back! 

This week we are talking about Acts of Kindness. 

We all know this intuitively and through our own experiences, but there is now a lot of mental health evidence for the benefit of performing acts of kindness! When you do something nice for someone else, it can really have a positive effect on your own well being.  And of course, when someone does something kind for you, it feels great!  

Some questions to kick off: 

1. What's the kindest thing someone has done for you? 

2. What's the last kind thing you remember doing for someone? 

3. Here's a list of ideas around acts of kindness  - what can you add to the list?! 

1. Pay for the coffee of the person behind you 
2. Send a postcard or letter to a friend you’ve not spoken to in forever
3. Offer to babysit for a struggling friend
4. Take the kids (or your dog) to visit a local nursing home.  Take cupcakes
5. Donate blood
6. Buy someone flowers just because 
7. Apologise to someone
8. Finally get around to calling your sister/besty/elderly aunt to have a chat
9. Compliment a stranger
10. Tell a workmate what you admire about them
11. Give a stranger your seat
12. Leave a book in a public place with a “take me I’m free” note
13. Who is your most selfless friend?  Do something amazing for them
14. Register as an organ donor
15. Take an extra umbrella and give it to someone who needs it
16. Listen, without interrupting, to someone’s story or problem.  Let them talk.  They’ll feel better
17. Buy a bottle of wine for the impoverished university student in your life
18. Have the kids make something special for their friends
19. Plant a tree or edible plant with your kids
20. Leave a nice note on a car

Challenge for the week : 
This week, do one kind act for a stranger, or someone you know, out of the blue. Share and report back if you'd like! 

[gina-Ro]

@taokat @Zoesplace @Wonderous  @Helplessmum @

@arnokenway @hippychick @sunflowermom @softballmum

What you all think about this topic? Would love to see your random acts of Kindness suggestions, and any stories you have. 
I know that a lot of you have shared really difficult things going on in your lives at the moment, and this may feel like too much - that's completely okay. But for some of you, this may be a welcome focus away from what's going on, and might give you a much-needed mood boost. 

I will also be taking up the random act of kindness challenge, and will report back! 

[hippychick]

The last kind thing someone did for me was at the shops in IGA. I was about three dollars short at the checkout and I had absolutely no money left in my account until payday the next day. The lovely shop keeper fudged up some numbers and made it work so that I could get the essentials I needed. I will never forget her for that. It meant so much. I will let you know in the next few days how I go with my random acts of kindness. 

[sunflowermom]

We had a potluck meal at work and someone took my dish home and washed it since I left early before I could retrieve my dish.  That was very sweet.

For a random act of kindness I will have to  report back tomorrow.  I can think of many things I do for my family but not strangers.

[Zoesplace]

Hi @gina-Ro I love these ideas!  I already do some of these, but I'm going to make an effort to do more. 

My boss gave me some flowers the other week to celebrate 2 years working with them, which was really lovely. This was a complete surprise - I didn't even know it was my work anniversary!  Its probably not the kindest gesture I have experienced, but one of the most recent.

I think that every time someone likes a post or replies to a topic on the forums is an of Act of Kindness. Sharing experiences and providing support to someone you don't know, demonstrates empathy, compassion and kindness that is a great comfort to other parents. I want to applaud all our Reach Out community for doing an awesome job 

[gina-Ro]

@hippychick - that's such a lovely story. It's crazy how something that might seem small  - a couple of dollars - can mean so much in a situation like that. The kindness of a stranger can not be overestimated. 
I've had a similar experience in a petrol station, but it was the person behind me in the line who gave me the few extra dollars I needed. The gratitude I had was huge, and put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. 

[gina-Ro]

@sunflowermom - that is so lovely of them to wash up the dish. 

We can add that, and the giving a few dollars to someone at a shop, or petrol station, to our list of potential kind acts to do.

 
With the challenge, the random act of kindness may be something pre-planned that you think about and prepare ahead of time - or it could also be about looking out for opportunities to present themselves. Be on the lookout for ways to make someone's day - it's like a kindness scavenger hunt! 

[gina-Ro]

@Zoesplace That is so lovely of your boss - flowers are ALWAYS a good idea! 

That is so true that on the forum every time someone replies to a post, it  shows care and concern and is absolutely a beautiful act of kindness. Thank you to all of you for doing this so often for so many strangers. The impact is huge. 

Another story I just remembered, one day I was coming back to my car, in a car spot i use regularly, and saw a note on the windscreen. I panicked thinking it was a parking fine, but it was actually a nice note from a stranger saying that I had parked my car the wrong way, and that they had gotten a fine in this spot for doing the same thing. They warned me to park it the other way to avoid a hefty fine. It was such a kind gesture, and I always park the correct way in that spot now!  

[sunflowermom]

This act was last week. A homeless kid probably in his 20's traveling with a dog and cat was camped in a parking lot. My daughters and I were grocery shopping and picked out a bag of food for him and his furry companions. His look was genuine gratitude and my daughter felt so good handing him the bag. I feel more compassion for homeless than i did before. Maybe due to my experiences with mental illness in my own child.

[Orbit64]

Random acts of kindness?! Hmmm, I was struggling with this one. Then I remembered. 

When driving, I always show patience and care for others in what many drivers seem to consider a contest. 

I make a big effort to:

• Leave space for the person in front to merge
• Not get cranky if someone makes a mistake
• Offer lots of consideration to L plate and P plate drivers - they are learning
• Wave thanks for anyone that shows me the same courtesy on the road
• Wave apology if I do make a mistake or misread a road situation
• Remain calm in heavy traffic. After all, "the traffic does not care".
• Allow for spare time to get to a destination on time
• When someone does get really rude or cranky, I blow them a kiss (yes I am a bloke). A mum I knew when I was a teenager always did that to men she had upset them on the road. She always said it tended to disarm an angry man. I can assure you a bloke blowing a kiss to an angry man seems to disarm and perplex them. Though I do this with consideration and caution. It could backfire (excuse the pun).