Acts of Random Kindness to You

Well, the regular school year is over and with it comes a lot of changes for the coming year. I don’t mind the changes so much, but it is nice when those changes come with positive attitudes and willingness to give new things a shot. I mean after all, how are we suppose to get the kids to give things a try if we aren’t willing, right?

So, instead of focusing on those people I call “blockers”, I will focus on those that go out of the way to make work a better place. There are a couple of people that are genuinely positve no matter the situation. They aren’t fake about it, rather they can see the good in everything. It makes work a much better place.

One of these people retired last year and I still miss her smiling face. She had been a teacher for 35 years and yet smiled at the kids and her coworkers and always had a kind word. My first week at the job, I remember having a terrible day and this lady invited me to her classroom for “tea”. It struck me as odd at the time, but looking back, it is one of the kindest things anyone could have done. After all, I wanted to be a part of this new job.

Another thing that makes an impression on me is people who not only remember my name, but take a minute to call me by name. It makes me feel like I am important enough to them and I try to do the same with others.

So, with every new year at work will come change and that is o-kay with me. What do you do to help you embrace changes?

I have decided to add a new category to the blog. I am a book fanatic and forever wanting to share a good book with friends, so I have decided to start doing that here as well. Feel free to discuss the book in question or to make suggestions of your own.

There is nothing in the world like a good book and it seems that sharing them with people is a way to not only help the authors of the books, but to also give back to those of you that have taken the time to come here. So, watch for the reviews in the coming weeks as I highlight some of the books I have read.

I often hear people remark that there is nothing in the news, but bad news. I decided today to take a couple days worth of newspapers and see what I could discover that might not be bad news. It may take a little more looking, but I found that there is good news to be found.

I would like to share with you two articles that caught my attention in the newspaper today. The first was about a lady from Plattsburgh, NY. You may not know where that is, but it is about as far north as you can get in New York State and it is also home to the best college in the world, SUNY Plattsburgh !  Anyway, back to the story. This lady, Linda Howard found a bank deposit bag in the road. Inside was $15,000 and can you guess what she did? She headed for the local police department to turn it in. It turned out that an employee of a local business had set it atop her car and forgot about it.  I can’t even imagine how surprised and pleased they were to get it back.  Linda Howard is sure making the world a better place by being an honest citizen.

Another story in the paper that really kind of caught me off guard was about a politician from the Albany, NY area. Bob Reilly announced that he is donating his after tax salary to groups that need it in the Albany and Saratoga area. Over the years, this assemblyman has donated over $218,000 to such groups. He has a simple reason for this kindness, he wants people to think better of their government.  That seems like a good reason to me, how about you?

So, it goes to show that news like anything else is all about perspective. There is good news to be found if you are looking and their is kindness all around us. Sometimes, we just need to take a fresh look. Here’s to hoping you are having a wonderful weekend.

Anybody that takes the time to blog is usually doing it because they want to get a message out. A blogger wants other people to read what they have to say and in the day of the Internet, it has become easier and easier for people to publish their thoughts.

The message of this blog of course is kindness and what a change it can make in the world. That being said, I want to take just a moment and thank those of you that are reading the blog. I see your comments and it makes me smile. If even one person is hearing me, it makes all the difference.

So, I thank you for taking a few minutes out of your busy lives to hear me. It means more than you can ever know. You are the type of people that are making the world a better place. Have a wonderful week !

As you can see from the title, A.R.K. is simply an acronym for Acts of Random Kindness. We live in the world where people aren’t always nice, but with one act of kindness, I believe we can literally start a chain reaction. Imagine a world where people are nice for no reason at all except to make the world a better and kinder place. It isn’t about having money, it is about having heart and giving hope where it is lacking. So, get thinking about what you can do and stay tuned here for ideas, stories, quotes, and much much more !!!