RAK Random Act of Kindness

We’ve heard about it, seen it on the TV and even in the Movies, but do you incorporate it into your daily life? What is it? R.A.K. - Random Act of Kindness. Other terms used are A.R.K. - Act of Random Kindness and lastly - Pay it Forward (great movie - great idea). What does it mean, this RAK? A simplified definition would be doing something nice for someone who hasn’t asked for it.

I’m greedy, yep I said, it I’m greedy. I like the feeling I get when I do something nice for someone else. It makes me feel good, so that makes me self-serving. I do it because I like to feel good.

Let’s not mistake kindness for weakness, some people think that being kind makes them weak. Not true. Being kind actually makes you stronger. How so? When you do something good for someone, you feel good inside, that makes you stronger within. Inner strength is something most of us strive for but find it difficult to achieve. When you find someone you admire, what is the reason you admire them? Without realizing it you are admiring their inner strength which had a tendency to show through to the outside. Maybe it’s a calm serene look on their face, or possibly the air of confidence they exhibit. This is done through inner strength. How does one achieve that? One way might to begin with R.A.K.’s

How does one do this?  There are many ways to do a R.A.K., it’s simple really. 

Do you drive to get your mail?  Is there an elderly neighbor who needs to go?  Either invite them to ride or offer to get the mail for them.  How easy is that? 

How about making that quick trip to the grocery store, does your neighbor need anything?  Either offer to get it for them or better yet, take them!  It will be good for them to get out of the house for a time.  If they have special needs it may take you a little bit longer, but they will appreciate your time more than you will ever know.

When you get to the grocery store is there someone struggling to get something off the shelf?  Get it for them with a smile.

How about that older person wandering the aisles, maybe they just need to chat for a few minutes.

As you’re checking out, is there a young Mother behind you struggling with a baby, and counting change to pay for that pack of diapers on the belt?  Drop a $10 bill to the cashier and tell him/her to make sure that covers the diapers and let the mother keep the change. 
Why?  Why not?  Do you really need that value meal when you have leftovers at home that could be re-heated? 

How about helping someone load their groceries in their car, now that to most is a HUGE help since grocery stores have cut back on personnel and don’t offer that service.

There are many R.A.K.’s that don’t require money just a little of your time.  As you’re mowing your lawn, what’s a few extra swipes in your neighbors yard?  (Get permission first please they may have a special way of doing it)

It’s almost fall season here in the North, there will be plenty of leaves that need raking or if you use a blower, what’s a few extra minutes of your time to help that neighbor?  Maybe they have kids a job and not much time to do it.  Instead of complaining that their leaves are getting into your clean yard, help them out.  You never know what may be going on in the mind of your neighbor, or why they can’t get to it.  Maybe they are young and don’t realize it bothers you.

Offer to pump the gas of someone at the gas station.  What is that going to take 5 more minutes?

Stop to help that person that is broke down on the side of the road. 

The more R.A.K.’s we perform the better we feel, and they in turn may pass it on!

If you want to spend a little of your hard earned cash, just so you get greedy with that good feeling, here are a few ways to do it. 

At the gas station - Give the cashier $20 for the person behind you.
Buy movie tickets for someone who wants to go but can’t afford it.  Send them in the mail anonymously.
Buy a grocery card for someone you know who desperately needs it and mail it to them, they get two great things at once.  1. Being - ’It’s not a bill’ and 2.  ‘YAY - Food!’  So you get twice the good feeling!
Buy someone a magazine subscription - That will last all year long!
Offer to baby sit your young neighbors kids while they go to the movies that you have paid for.

There are many ways to do R.A.K.’s it’s, limited to your imagination!  Go out - get that greedy feeling of doing good!  You may be asking yourself about now “What’s in it for me, who‘s going to do nice things for me?”  Well, who knows, but if you can get past the ‘Me’ stage what you’ll get is the good feeling of doing something nice for your fellow man/woman/child.  If you do something nice, it may turn around to you, it may not.  No guarantees there

You may have already experienced R.A.K.’s and don’t even realize it.  That nice policeman who let you go without a ticket, RAK.  That person who opened the door for you as you were entering the building, RAK.  The bank teller who reversed that overdraft fee, RAK.  So you see, it happens all the time and you may not even know it.     

But  for me, I like the saying “I don’t give until it hurts, I give until it feels good!”