World Kindness Day: Day One to a Life of Kindness

World Kindness Day is one of my favorite days of the year. It openly shares and celebrates about the importance of giving beyond yourself to others. Most of society tells you that you are the most important person and that you do not have to care about others beyond you. Yet we have national holidays like today. Kindness day. 

This day is such a beautiful reminder to me that there is goodness in the world and that kindness does exist. It reminds me that every single day is a chance to show kindness to others. That it can be so simple to show that kindness to others. You never truly know what one small act of kindness could mean to someone. You never know how a series of kind acts towards someone could change your life. And even more than that, you will never know how living out everyday acts of kindness will change you. 

When I first started celebrating World Kindness Day, I thought that it always had to be me spending money in some way. I did not see all the other beautiful ways to show everyday kindness. So, here are some of my favorite ideas of how you can choose to show some small acts of kindness every single day. 

1. Send a text to a friend or family member that you have not seen in a while. This literally can be as simple as saying "Hey, just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you." I really thought this was just too easy, but when I actually tried it I ended up having some great conversations with friends that I had not talked to in years. And I loved it. I loved hearing how those friends were doing and catching up with them. 

2. Choose to smile at someone in the grocery market or Starbucks line instead of avoiding eye contact and looking away. I know that this can be uncomfortable and can feel awkward. But sometimes people just need to split moment of feeling seen. Like they are worthy of being noticed.

3. Hold the door for someone or hold the elevator for someone. Even if it is inconvenient for you, it can make someone else's day just a little bit easier. And life is hard enough that making someone else's life a little easier can truly make a difference. 

4. Take a moment to compliment someone. Do not make this fake, but when you think "Oh, they are a really talented artist", or "Wow, I really like her jacket" maybe take a breathe more to tell them. When I have received random compliments from other people it has always made my days better, and sometimes it has changed my attitude within a day. 

5. Treat someone to a coffee or a meal. Yes, I know that this includes money. Here is how I do it. When I get gift cards from people as gifts, I put that money aside so that I can treat others with it. That way I am not spending outside of my personal finances, but can still bless people in small ways. 

Kindness does not have to be hard or complicated. But it has to be intentional. You have to choose daily to look at life beyond yourself and make people a priority in your life. It may seem small and insignificant, but I can promise you that it will not be small and insignificant for you and your heart. Choosing daily kindness will change your heart and the way you see the world. You will find joy in a way you never imagined.

Happy World Kindness Day, and welcome to daily kindness. 

And as a bonus, here are 100 ways to be kind. 

1. Volunteer during a community clean-up day.
2. Be a blood donor.
3. Be a good, sincere, and patient listener.
4. Donate the clothes and shoes you never wear knowing someone will appreciate them. 
5. Visit or volunteer at a local homeless shelter and try to increase just one person’s self-worth.
6. Sign up to make well-check calls at a senior center – then maybe visit those people who have no one to look in on them.
7. Give your kids your undivided attention.
8. Be kind to all animals.
9. Donate dog or cat food to the local pet shelter – and maybe even take along some homemade cookies for shelter volunteers.
10. Take donuts and coffee to a local hospice for the angels who work there.
11. Rescue the baby spider from the tub before turning on the water.
12. Leave a tip for housekeeping. 
13. Let others cut in front of you in traffic.
14. Recycle plastics, bottles, and paper.
15. Help clean up or do dishes after a private party.
16. Say thank you to people who rarely get thanked – the bathroom attendant, the policeman directing traffic, the toll booth attendant.
17. Offer food and shelter to feral pets – or call a local rescue to save them.
18. Volunteer at the pound to give the caged creatures some love and attention.
19. Visit people who get no visitors at long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and mental health facilities.
20. Volunteer at an office on aging, an inner-city church, or shelters for the homeless, to drive people to the doctor or the store.
21. Every day, think about all the ways in which you are luckier than others.
22. Be a happy person; be someone people want to be around.
23. Teach your children to be kind to those who are less fortunate — one birthday gift for you, one to donate.
24. Congratulate relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers when they do something courageous or difficult.
25. Say “I love you” or “I miss you” to people you love or miss.
26. Live your life the way you would want to be remembered.
27. Buy less bottled water, Styrofoam plates, plastic silverware. Use a refillable water bottle and dinnerware that can be re-used.
28. If you must buy something in plastic or excessive packaging, recycle it.
29. Take reusable bags to the grocery store, so you don’t have to decide between paper or plastic.
30. When at the beach or out in nature anywhere, leave no footprint. Pick up trash even if it’s not yours.
31. Before throwing away good food, put it in the freezer for later. You’ll be surprised at how many things are freezable, better yet, offer your extras to a friend or neighbor.
32. Park your car away from sidewalks and other places that might impede pedestrians.
33. If you cycle, use bike lanes when available; if not, give pedestrians the right-of-way on sidewalks.
34. Shop locally; support your local merchants.
35. Before taking the last piece of anything, ask if anyone else wants it.
36. Clean up your mess, so others don’t have to.
37. Think before saying things that others may find hateful or mean.
38. Never make fun of anyone for anything.
39. Be tolerant of all religious beliefs and colors of skin.
40. Always remember you don’t know all the details surrounding an action someone else is taking.
41. There are times when you must mind your own business.
42. Carry non-perishable snacks in your car that you can give to homeless people holding “I’m hungry” signs on street corners.
43. Be a generous tipper – and not just at restaurants. That extra dollar means little to you but a lot to others.
44. Listen to the opinions of others before making a judgment.
45. Help a friend put together a resume to find a job.
46. Share your computer knowledge with those who have challenges understanding technology.
47. Push grocery carts back to store instead of leaving them in the middle of the parking lot.
48. Acknowledge people no one else does — the mentally challenged grocery bagger, the 500-pound man in a motorized cart, the person next to you on the bus.
49. Talk to the cleaning staff at work. They see you; you should see them.
50. Be tolerant of screaming children on airplanes – be tolerant of children in general.
51. Let the person with an armful of groceries go in front of you in line.
52. When the light turns green, give the car ahead of you some time, before honking.
53. Answer texts and emails as soon as possible.
54. Allow oncoming vehicles access to the road ahead of you.
55. Let pedestrians and bicyclists go ahead of you.
56. Never, ever litter – and that includes throwing cigarette butts and other small items out a car window.
57. Offer to lend a hand if someone is struggling with a piece of luggage or any large item.
58. If you’re tall, reach up to help someone; if you’re flexible, bend down to help someone.
59. Offer to help a neighbor with yard work.
60. Let children or short people stand in front of you at entertainment events.
61. Deliver meals on wheels – and add a little surprise of your own if and when you are able.
62. Help people with dementia during painting or other classes at a nursing home; listen to what they are saying and talk to them.
63. Be a courteous highway driver; move over for faster cars and maintain a clear distance, so you aren’t always riding the brake.
64. Take your dog for a walk every day and let him explore and smell the world.
65. Volunteer to foster a kitten born to a feral mother cat. Foster or train a future support dog.
66. Cut down on meat consumption; there are plenty of ways to get protein without eating meat.
67. Abide by fishing regulations, catch only in season and only within the limit.
68. Ask yourself if you want to be the kind of person who kills animals for sport.
69. Try not to take out your frustrations on the person who answers the phone when you make a complaint call. Be aware that the person on the phone is just a conduit to a person who has the power to affect change.
70. Offer to carry a heavy package to the car for someone who could use the help.
71. Give directions to someone who is lost.
72. Find something that’s not yours? Turn it in.
73. Make sure your driver’s license says you are an organ donor. If not, register here with Recyclelife.org.
74. When someone is kind enough to perform a task, be grateful instead of redoing it your way.
75. Offer your assistance to someone in a wheelchair.
76. Pick up after your dog.
77. Run up a flight of stairs to get something for someone who is unable to do so.
78. Volunteer to tutor kids who need help in areas that you’re strong in.
79. Give the books you have already read to the library, a nursing home or the Salvation Army or Goodwill.
80. Offer to pick up your friend’s tab at a restaurant.
81. Call your mom, your dad or your grandparents just to say hi.
82. Help build a home for Habitat for Humanity.
83. Play a game with the neighborhood kids.
84. When you mow your lawn, mow the elderly neighbor’s too.
85. Give away seedlings and cuttings from your yard. Take bouquets of flowers to shut-in neighbors.
86. Before complaining about something, try to find a solution. Be a problem solver.
87. Offer to babysit the children of your friends who are overwhelmed or single parents.
88. Watch your neighbor’s dog or keep an eye on their house when they are away.
89. Maintain civility on the Internet.
90. Take a meal to a friend who just lost a loved one (pets count, too).
91. Make someone laugh.
92. Offer cold drinks to people working outside in the heat, and hot drinks to those working outside in the cold.
93. Give away the stuffed animals you win at an amusement park or fair or game room to the wide-eyed children looking on.
94. Buy something out of a vending machine and leave it there.
95. Give up your seat on a bus or subway.
96. Compliment a stranger.
97. Put coins in an expired parking meter next to you.
98. Do a chore without being asked.
99. Leave a kind note – with a gift card if you can afford it – for your mailman and trash collector.
100. Talk to the person who appears lonely at any gathering.

This list is credited from https://www.bestyoubestme.org/inspiration/100-ways-to-be-kind/

2021: Life Lessons and Relocations - What I Have Learned in the Last Year (or more)

Well, after not being on here for two years (almost three), I think that it is time that I start taking my writing seriously again. I want to share some things that I am learning and hopefully spread some light, some hope, a little love, and maybe a bit of joy. 

I have always wanted to write, to speak, to share, to give. But honestly, even when I have dabbled, I never felt like I was good enough. Like I did not know enough to write or speak. But, I never will. I can share what I know right now and put that out into the world to others. The hope is to learn along the way from those older and wiser than me, and share what I know to those coming up after me. 

Going back on here and reading prior posts, it kind of makes me want to delete it all. But those are my words from once upon a time. It shows me where I have grown and it makes me proud that I am not the same today as the person I once was. Looking back makes me excited for where I one day will be. 

So, here I am. 25 living in Tennessee with my best friend. Working at a Christian academy part as an assistant and part as an aftercare teacher. Picking up DJ gigs when I go back to visit Florida. Trying to figure out where the heck I am going with my life. Trying to learn along the way and piece together whatever comes next in my life.

Some things I have learned this year:

1) Things are sometimes exactly what they seem. And sometimes things are not at all what they seem. As confusing as that is, it actually makes a lot of sense. I tend to overanalyze and overthink every single thing in my life. The problem with that is when I do all of that analyzing and thinking, I try to control situations and people within that. So sometimes it is best to take moments for exactly what they are. Nothing more, nothing less. That can be true for relationships, it can be true for situations and circumstances. So instead of trying to control things, it is sometimes best to take a breathe and experience things for exactly what they are. 

2) Life is never going to go as planned. At the beginning of this year, I thought I had an idea of where my year was going to go. Never did I think that I was going to end up in Tennessee living with my best friend working in an environment where I can openly live out my faith. It is totally okay to plan and figure out what you want next. But you cannot hold onto that plan so much that you miss the plans that God has for you. Trust me, it is always better to just go with God's plan the first time.

3) Love is a beautifully hard thing. This year I learned what love truly looked like. It is messy and it is sacrificial. It is hard and it is the easiest thing ever. But, sometimes love is fleeting. Sometimes life calls you in a different direction than love and you have to let go of it. Because holding onto love when life is moving you away from love can bring death to love. And sometimes, sometimes love stays. Either way, experience love to its fullest while you have it, because it is one of the only pure things in life. 

4) Find quiet moments of peaceful isolation. I know that this may seem simple, but in a world of go go go and never stop going, you need to find moments with just you. One of my favorite moments was a morning hike I took before work. It was cold out and I ended up at a small river in the woods. I sat on a rock in the wind next to the water and just breathed. And in that moment, I learned more about life and love and peace and joy than I could have imagined. Your soul, your spirit, your body, and your mind needs it. It will be worth it. Trust me. Find the small moments just for you. 

This is just a small amount of things that I have learned this year. And maybe none of this means anything to anyone else but maybe this will be a reminder to someone that life goes by so fast, but you do not have to just glide along with it. You have a say in your life. You have a purpose in your life. You were not created to just survive day in and day out, but to thrive within this small piece of life you have been given. Only you can make that choice. 

You are beautiful and you have incredible light within you. Never forget the power you hold. You have the choice what you do with it.