“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier” – Mother Teresa
It’s an inspiring quote and something we can learn from and aim to achieve.
What is a random act of kindness?
Random acts of kindness are unplanned decisions to show compassion towards others. They are selfless ways to make someone smile.
A random act of kindness can be as big or as small as you like. It can involve paying for someone’s cup of coffee in your local café, volunteering to help at a homeless shelter or helping an elderly person with their shopping. You could even give someone a compliment to brighten up their day or help a colleague with their work.
So why are random acts of kindness important?
It improves wellbeing – whether you’re the giver or receiver.
Knowing that you’ve made someone’s day better through a kind and unexpected gesture will improve your mood and make you feel good about yourself. As for the individual who was fortunate enough to experience your generous act, it can turn a bad day into a pleasant one, and it’ll be something they’ll undoubtedly tell others and remember for years to come.
Random acts of kindness ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to ‘make someone’s day’, here are 15 suggestions from the Portmeirion team.
- Buy someone a freshly baked cake from the local bakery
- Give your seat up on the bus or train – not necessarily for someone who needs it more than you, but just because
- Take part in a sporting event to raise money for charity
- Give a stranger a compliment
- Pop round and spend some time with your neighbour
- Treat the office to a box of biscuits
- Bake some biscuits for your local emergency services to say thank you for the work they do
- Donate some toys to your local children’s hospital
- Pay for someone’s car parking space
- Put your neighbour’s bin away (always recommended)
- Leave extra change in the vending machine so the next person has a treat on you
- Send a friend or family member some flowers
- Let another driver go in front of you in a traffic jam
- Help someone with their shopping bags or a parent with a pram
- Smile at others
There are endless ways to perform a random act of kindness, but it’s not how big the effort is, it’s the thought behind it that’s worth more.
World Friendship Day
If we’ve inspired you to perform a random act of kindness, then why not do it for World Friendship Day? It’s the perfect time to show a friend how much they mean to you by celebrating your friendship together.
Back in the 1930s, Hallmark Cards came up with the original idea of World Friendship Day. However, it wasn’t until 1958 when an international organisation, ‘The Friendship Crusade’, pushed for an official celebratory day. It became official in 2011 and is celebrated around the world.
Of course, you don’t need an occasion to show a friend how much their friendship means to you, but it’s the perfect opportunity to send them a message or give them a call.
A random act of kindness doesn’t have to cost a fortune; in fact, it doesn’t have to cost anything at all. The selfless thought outweighs any cost (if any) involved in your random act of kindness.
So, go on, on your way home today, show a stranger some kindness to end their day on a positive note.