The term has always baffled and, to be honest, mildly annoyed me.
According to Dictionary.com, random means “proceeding, made, or occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern.”
Why should an act of kindness be random? Shouldn’t we be purposeful and deliberate about the kind acts we do for others?
But it recently occurred to me that randomness elevates kindness to the highest level.
Kindness is an impulse to give, to serve, or to inspire joy. Kindness is, by definition, unnecessary and uncalled for–or, according to common parlance–random.
A note with a smiley-face stuck on a coffee mug. An unexpected “thinking of you” text. A single chocolate candy waiting for you on your desk. A link to a short video you would like discovered in your inbox.
I’d like to collect a list of ideas with which we can inspire ourselves to perform more acts of kindness and to elicit more ideas of how to do so.
What random acts of kindness have you performed? What acts have been done for you, or would you like to have done for you?
At home, at work, or on the street, think of one example of a way to brighten someone else’s day.
Please share your suggestion in the comments.
Yonason, I wish I has read your post before submitting my two posts earlier today to BIZCATALYST. Both posts show how random acts of action may align. They are like fireflies. Research has shown that if you put up to twenty of them in a room they shall glow randomly. Surprisingly, if you add more fireflies they start glowing with amazing synchronicity and a bright light wave emerges that brighten their dark.
Same is true with random acts of kindness. Once you have few of them they glow in an orderly passion.
My act of kindness to you is sharing this post on Twitter.
Yonason, I have to agree with you on the use of the phrase “random acts of kindness,” yet my take away is that while the act is deliberate,
you choose at random someone to do the act for.
One of my simple random acts is that of giving someone or several someones a smile and brighten their day. I’ve met people in the
supermarket (pre-covid) who had a fierce look on their face and looked directly at them and smiled as I walked up to them in the aisle.
I’ve seen their face and body change when they smile in return and we share a pleasant Good Morning. It’s been more challenging
while wearing masks but we can smile with our eyes and say a nice Hello. Even for a minute we change the focus of/for another person.