Random Acts of Kindness

We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.

Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)
Comedic Actor, Filmmaker, Writer

 

 

A couple of years ago I started doing "pay it forward" acts.  I kept trying to leave money for the coffee of the next person in line but the clerks were reluctant to do it.  It became a very unpleasant act when the clerk at the drive thru window at Dunkin Donuts refused to take the money and threw it out the window.  I gave it up because it was too frustrating trying to explain what I was attempting to do and any good was flushed down the toilet when I felt like throttling the clerks.

 

Now I think it is a good time to focus on random acts of kindness.  The term is defined in Wikipedia as follows:

"A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or people wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual person or people."

There are a number of websites devoted to the subject and give ideas of the kind of acts that could be performed.  That is all well and good but I think it negates the concept of "random".  I do not want to set out on a goal of doing something on purpose.  I want to make myself aware that there are opportunities for spontaneous action. 

For example, there was a short news note about a man in a grocery checkout line who jumped in front of a couple and swiped his credit card to pay for their groceries because he saw that they didn't have enough to pay.  He then walked away.  What a guy!  I'll bet he wasn't planning on doing anything like that but took advantage of the opportunity for a random act of kindness.

I believe that performing an act, not for recognition but because it felt right. will change someone’s life in a small way. This is really paying it forward. What’s better than that?

Today.... keep it simple and make it real.