Random Acts of Kindness

[Earlybird]

I was in Starbucks this morning and when it was my turn to pay, was told that a woman had paid for drinks for everyone in the queue.

That gesture of generosity made me think about those rare moments in life when total strangers do something kind just for the sake of it.

On occasion, I will put change in parking meters...and, while I do it to help those who are about to get a ticket, must admit it's also to aggravate the parking wardens who are too zealous in performing their duties, IMO...

As the holiday season approaches, I am aware of how fortunate I am, and how much I take for granted. I could easily be kinder to others, if I consciously made the effort, and if I did, perhaps it would improve my karma , or simply be satisfying to know that my actions had made a small difference for someone.

Have you ever been the recipient of a random act of kindness? Have you ever spontaneously done something kind for someone?

I firmly believe in random acts of kindness! An old lady in the bakers queue dropped her sandwich on the floor and it all spilt out. The shop assistant just staredgormlessly , and the old woman was so embaraased and flustered that she scooped up the spoiled sarnie off the floor, paid for it and left. I read the riot act to the shop girl and paid for a new sandwich and ran outside to give it to the lady. She cried and so did I! We often give parking tickets to other people if there's lots of time left on - why wouldn't anybody! The best one I hard of was on the news the other day. A woman had a penalty ticket on her car and when she took it off, there was also an envelope with £30 in and a note saying ''pay your fine with this - and pass it on to someone else later' or words to that effect. Was that one of you lovely people?

Sorry georginaA, just noticed you sent a link to the parking ticket santa - it is fab though, isn't it!

I am reading about this at the moment in a book on happiness and learned optimism it talks about this and several other things like the three blessings and a gratitude exercise where you write down a list of things about someone who has really helped you in your life and with a witness read it out to them.

Slight diversion from topic Glitter but - In our house we have a blessings tree (Silver coloured twisty hazel branches in a nice pot.) The idea is, anytime something lovely happens you write it down, roll it up and tie it to the branches. Once a year, or more if you need a positive boost, you unwrap the blessings and have a lovely afternoon remembering all the good/inspiring and fluffy things you have to be thankful for in the year - literally counting your blessings. It doesn't have to be 'won £1m on the lottery', sometimes I write down a wonderful outing with the kids, or a good deed which was done for me.

What a fantastic idea I am going to start one! Brilliant there a random act of kindness off topic !

Thought you'd like that

I love the sound of the blessings tree in hazel. Will try that next year, this year it is the fig!

the Yurt needs a blessings tree!