R.A.K.
Kindness is the act or the state of being kind —ie. marked by goodness and charitable behaviour, mild disposition, pleasantness, tenderness and concern for others. It is known as a virtue, and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions
Random Acts of Kindness Day is the name of an unofficial holiday celebrated around the world in order to encourage acts of kindness. The original founder of Random Acts of Kindness Day is unknown. It is celebrated each year in the USA on 17 February and in New Zealand on 1 September.
While the concept isn’t new, the dream to make this a national day in New Zealand came about after four friends: Josh de Jong, Marshall Gray, Megan Singleton and Reubyn Gwyn, got together in mid 2004 and thought it would be great if Kiwi's had a day where we all did something kind for others – without any retail pressure! Check out their site here.It is not a holiday, rather a national day where the entire country is challenged to do something kind to a friend or stranger for no reason at all.To lift the kindness temperature in your country, step out of your comfort zone and do something randomly kind for a stranger or friend. Here are some New Zealand RAK ideas:
• Give an extra $4 to the coffee guy to buy the next person a coffee
• Pay the bus fare of the person standing behind you
• Take muffins to the office for morning tea
• Mow the neighbour’s lawn
• Pick someone a flower
• Wash your partner’s car
• Send a pizza to the local fire station, school staff room, boyfriend/girlfriend’s work
• Put the neighbour’s wheelie bin out
• Phone your mum/dad/sister/uncle....
• Get your kids to donate their pre-loved toys to charity
• Drop clothes in to the Sallies
• Offer to walk the neighbour’s dog
• Treat a friend to join you in a round of golf
• Give someone a hug
You get the idea – the possibilities are endless! The hope is for all nations to get onboard and make the world a kind place – even just for one day. Giving and volunteering are crucial for building strong communities and initiatives such as Random Acts of Kindness Day assist in developing a culture of generosity. So spread the word about Random Acts of Kindness Day and do your bit to make the world a happy place to live in!