Random Acts of Kindness

A Culture of Caring

Today, our community is celebrating ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ Day: a day on which you are encouraged to do simple and unexpected things to add a smile to someone’s face, or lighten someone’s load.

I am blessed to come from great parents, and a family circle that gives, and then gives more. Concepts such as ‘Pay it Forward’ speak to the values that I wish to leave to my children, to the world that I want my children’s children to thrive in — one where MY needs don’t necessarily trump YOUR space. A world where we watch out for each other, and do what we can, when we can, to support one another.

Some reading this post may think I am a traditionalist, just waiting to return to those days of yore, a ‘kinder, gentler’ time. But I am not naive. I believe that in days gone by the politics of the world functioned much as it does now — with those who want, taking what they want, when they want. But in those times, as now, the kinder, gentler was made possible by someone reaching out with a helping hand or touching a heart with a smile, connecting the new dots in the neighbourhood, into their new and larger community. We still see people pull together — these acts are most evident during large disasters such as Haiti and Sandy.

But they also occur everyday, in communities near you! I have been the recipient of simple acts of hospitality, generosity and graciousness of many around the world — open-hearted gestures, with no concept of being paid back.

I know that in our society today we are still privileged to trip across people — young and old — who LIVE Random Act of Kindness regularly. By their gestures, and through their actions and activism they continue to inspire me and make my heart sing as I celebrate the true spirit of HumanKind(ness).

Need some inspiration? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT-HBl2TVtI&feature=youtu.be

www.rakoakville.com

I got inspired to write today triggered by the phrase ‘I never assume that someone will reciprocate’ while reading Guy Vaynerchuk’s medium entry ‘The Leverage of Being a Good Person’.

Be inspired!