Random Acts of Kindness

We’ve all heard the phrase, “random acts of kindness.”

In our daily lives what opportunities exist beyond just smiling at people or opening doors for them? Glad you asked!

Here are 140 – enough for more than four months, at one day. Then repeat twice, and you’ve covered the whole year:

* leave a quarter in the return slot of the pay phone
* send twenty dollars anonymously to a college student you know could use it
* put a quarter in the parking meter to help someone else avoid a ticket
* leave pennies in the restaurant penny dish
* let cashiers "keep the change"

* over-tip a taxi driver who drove particularly well
* throw a dollar into the instrument case of a street musician
* make an anonymous charitable donation
* leave discount coupons out where people can find them
* give a waitress or other customer service worker a generous tip

* pay the tab of a person eating alone in a restaurant
* give a little more money than necessary to the man selling newspapers on the sidewalk
* pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through
* unexpectedly grab the check at lunch
* cancel a personal loan you made to someone

* send an inspirational quote or message to a friend who’s down
* say a prayer for someone in need
* leave nice comments on someone’s blog
* write a letter of appreciation to someone who helped you earlier in life
* create handmade cards to distribute to people you care about

* send thank you notes to people as often as you can think of a reason to offer thanks
* write encouraging notes on $1 bills and tuck them where people will find them
* clip and send articles you know would be of interest to others
* write notes of appreciation to helpful community groups
* send your favorite recipe to someone you know will enjoy it

* send a letter to a soldier deployed overseas
* leave a helpful note for a delivery person
* give a co-worker a pat on the back
* encourage a friend to pursue their goal
* give praise to customer service representatives who have inherited your problem

* serve as a mentor to someone rising in your profession
* send a Valentine’s day card to a single friend on February 14th
* tuck notes telling a loved one how much you care about them into their favorite book
* give your garbage man or mail carrier a card thanking them for their service
* leave uplifting notes in library books

* send a friend discount coupons that you can’t use
* leave a treat for your postal carrier
* write a letter to management praising one of their employees
* bring a box of donuts to the auto mechanics and staff at the repair shop
* give a co-worker tickets to a concert or sporting event

* send someone you love flowers from a "secret admirer"
* give a flower to an elderly woman as she walks by
* give treats to your neighbors' pets
* send a bouquet of flowers to your favorite teacher
* leave cookies for Santa

* give a Christmas present to one of your professors
* pick one day out of the week to smile at everyone
* ask the bus driver to wait when you see someone hurrying to make the bus
* offer to help someone on crutches
* let someone go ahead of you in the bank line when you sense they’re in a hurry

* relinquish your seat on the bus or subway
* let someone cut in front of you on the highway without giving them the horn
* carry an elderly neighbor’s groceries
* pick up a stray piece of litter left by others
* bring your shopping cart all the way back to the store after loading up your car

* as a motorist, give people plenty of time to cross the street
* help your neighbor take heavy items for recycling out to the curb
* roll your neighbor’s trash out to the curb when you see that they forgot
* shop for someone who is homebound or bed-ridden
* collect the newspapers piling up in the yard of a vacationing neighbor

* allow your staff to take off a few minutes early
* offer to drive even when it’s not your turn
* drive slowly in neighborhoods filled with children
* hand a bottle of water to a worker who toils in the sun
* hold the door for strangers, especially those with children

* wash a friend’s car
* make a family member’s favorite meal
* rake leaves for a senior citizen in your neighborhood
* pick up something that someone has dropped
* help someone load their groceries into their car

* mow a neighbor’s lawn
* scrape the ice off a neighbor’s car for them before they leave for work
* show your family you care by doing chores and assignments not asked of you
* stop to help a student who dropped their books
* park far away

* help a musician to fill the seats at his next concert
* make breakfast in bed for a loved one
* instead of leaving your clothes in the dressing room at the store, put them back on the rack
* offer your expert assistance to someone who’s struggling
* give a tissue to a stranger who sneezes

* stop for someone who’s having car trouble
* offer a blanket to a street person
* walk your neighbors pet if they are feeling sick or too tired to do so
* do yard work for friends or family members
* bring a sick friend some soup

* offer to cook for a busy friend
* bake brownies or muffins to give to elderly people you know
* keep your bird feeder full
* recycle as often as you can
* patronize green product and service vendors

* ride a bike instead of driving
* initiate a neighborhood clean-up project
* visit the animals at the pet shelter
* fix something at a park or community space without seeking reward
* help a foreign visitor navigate his way

* attend holiday events at places of worship outside your own religion
* learn some key phrases in the language of immigrants that you know
* vote, and encourage others to vote, without taking sides
* extend a small courtesy to someone who is not of your race or religion
* thank volunteers at events for their service

* volunteer yourself
* host a charitable, social, or civic group at your home
* buy the Girl Scout cookies, even if you end up giving them away
* handle the phone pledges at your local PBS station
* introduce yourself to someone you see regularly, but have never spoken to

* collect magazines for distribution to hospital patients
* give boxes of old books to schools, libraries, or nursing homes
* donate old computers and peripherals to charitable organizations
* sign up to be an organ donor
* give blood at the Red Cross

* donate canned foods to your local food pantry or shelter
* donate all excess items in your home to the Salvation Army or Goodwill
* give to a charity of your choosing
* volunteer to help at your school’s library
* initiate a neighborhood watch committee

* participate in an Adopt-a-Highway program
* buy multiple copies of your favorite books and donate them to libraries
* tell your waiter to please compliment the chef when served a great dish
* let someone vent without responding in kind
* give a compliment, out of the blue, to a stranger

* speak kindly to those who may have slighted you
* let the other party do most of the talking
* be agreeable when the issue is a relatively small one for you
* really listen to members of your family
* come home from work free of all work-related tasks and thoughts

* randomly thank police officers and firefighters for their service
* thank members of the armed forces for their service when you see them
* call an old friend out of the blue
* genuinely talk to your cab driver
* reconnect with an estranged family member

* apologize for something that happened a long time ago
* give an adversary the benefit of the doubt
* speak well of someone
* listen intently to someone who needs to be heard
* stop gossip in its tracks

* tell a lady who’s obviously put some effort into her appearance that she looks nice
* tell a tired mom in a grocery store that her kids are well-behaved
* be genuinely excited to see someone
* tell someone how much you love their outfit
* turn off your cell phone and have lunch with a parent