Hello and welcome to the DesignLife blog where we discuss Holistic Beauty, Personal Development and a little bit of Magic!
As many of you know from my Facebook page and/or Youtube channel, this month I am doing the 'Love your life' 30-day project. Not that I don't already love my life, I just thought it would be fun to get in on this activity and practice conscious gratitude for my life for 30 days. So on day 13 of the project (you can see the video here) it's all about random acts of kindness (or acts of random kindness, which is why I wrote ARK in the blog title). This is for sure one of my favourite activities of the project so far, because it's something that is already a practice in my life, but now I am more aware of it and I put so much more love into it and it really feels so, so good.
Random acts of kindness don't always have to be about money, although they could also include it. I decided to make a list of 50 of my favourite ARK that you can literally do no matter who you are and I think it would be great if everyone could pick their top 5 ones, and then do them all in one day and see how GREAT you feel at the end of that day.
Here is my list of favourites:
1. Go through your Facebook or Instagram feed (all the recent photos and stuff) and like as many as you can, send them some love (in your mind imagine giving them a hug!) and comment on at least 3 posts genuine compliments.
2. Tip 20%! Or more! And write a thank you note on the receipt.
3. Whenever you buy new clothes, donate at least one or two of your older clothes to charity or someone you know who doesn't get new clothes often.
4. Email or write to an old teacher, or friend, or mentor that made a difference in your life and say thank you.
5. SMILE at random people that you walk by, just because!
6. Wave to or high five kids as you walk past them in the mall (this has got to be one of my favourite ones! Kids are so funny. When they're not yours. LOL)
7. Usually on a flight, on the back of the seat that's in front of you, there's a little pouch. Leave a good book that you've finished reading for someone to find (or it will find the right person - trust me!).
8. Create a playlist on Youtube of all the music that makes you feel good and share it on Facebook! (this is how to create a playlist on Youtube)
9. Carry sticky notes in your pocket, with inspirational quotes written on them and stick them in random places as you go about your day.
10. When you are on the way somewhere and you know you are going to drive by a friend's house on the way, stop there and give them a quick hug! Or take them coffee.
11. Text your mom and dad you LOVE them.
12. If you see litter, pick it up. Just because you can and you care.
13. If you hear someone say something nice about somebody you know, tell that person!
14. Pay the toll for the person behind you.
15. Give someone you know flowers, even if you picked them yourself and even if it's just ONE!
16. Write a nice comment on a friend's Youtube channel or blog.
17. Write your mom or dad a list of all the things that you are thankful for about them or that they have done for you that they didn't think you noticed.
18. Take a security guard a hot cup of coffee in the morning (if it's cold).
19. Buy a cold drink or bottle of water for a car guard that's been standing outside all day.
20. Buy a Macdonald's cheeseburger for a homeless person and give it to them with a big smile (it's only R15!).
21. Buy dog food or cat food and drop it off at the animal shelter.
22. When you're angry at someone, just BREATHE and tell them you're sorry or smile at them or just give them a hug and don't say anything.
23. Babysit (or dogsit or catsit) for free! It helps out more than you think :) offer it to someone that you know doesn't go out often, because of their kids or their pets.
24. Make two lunches and give one away.
25. Wash the dishes even when it's not your turn.
26. Compliment a stranger (I so often think someone has nice hair or style and I don't say anything, so I'd like to do this more often).
27. Let the person who seems rushed cut in front of you next time at the grocery store.
28. Say "thank you" and "have a nice day" more often - and mean it! Think about how hard we all work and that we all deserve to hear these words.
29. Offer your services for free every once in a while. We all have talents and maybe someone could use a special drawing or a haircut (although I'm almost 100% sure most hairdresser already give too many free haircuts - haha!). Offer this to someone who really needs it.
30. Connect people to each other.
31. Tell your boss thank you.
32. Try to find goodness in the person you don't like - send them love in your mind. Bathe them in forgiveness and kindness and love and light. I promise you, forgiving someone, even without telling them, makes such a big difference in your life.
33. Someone's birthday? Bake them a cake - don't buy it, BAKE it :)
34. Go through twitter and send out positive tweets to others!
35. If you see someone that needs help (it's totally obvious to see when someone is lost!) offer your help
36. Avoid gossip. Change the subject to something happy when you hear people gossiping about someone - don't scold them for it, just talk about something better.
37. Invite a friend that you haven't seen in a while to an event that you're going to or just to grab a cup of coffee together and ask them how it's going.
38. When you are visiting someone, compliment them on their home! So much love goes into creating a living space, it feels really good to hear positive comments.
39. Keep negative comments to yourself.
40. Listen when someone has good news and be happy with them!
41. Tell the person who is looking for a job when you hear about an opening
42. If there is something that you have done or experienced that has inspire you or changed your life, share it with others and it might just inspire them too.
43. Encourage someone when they tell you about their "far off" dream or about a new project that they want to start.
44. Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
45. On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, remember any friends who have lost a parent the previous year, and check in with them. Those will be tough days.
46. This one is super great - take photos of people without them asking. Send them the ones that come out nice.
47. Offer to take someone to the bus stop or airport when you know they need to be there.
48. Write a love note and hide it in a magazine your boyfriend/girlfriend is reading or somewhere else he/she will find it.
49.
50. Treat YOURSELF to something you've been putting off, because you "don't really need it". You can have it anyway and you deserve love ad kindness too!
Let me know if you try any of these or if there are other ideas that you like to do! I always like trying new things. Practicing random acts of kindness is the best way to feel good! So you help you AND others :)