100 acts of kindness – DONE! (part 2 of 2)

“There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” ~ The Dalai Lama

This post is a continuation of Part 1. Thank you all for your kind comments! Reading them is always the highlight of my day.

I had a blast trying to get to 100 kindnesses. What did I learn?

1) I do many acts of kindness every day without even realizing it.

2) It is surprisingly easy and fun to help someone with something simple.

3) Having the frame of mind of actively looking for opportunities to perform these kindnesses does increase the likelihood of doing one, as does the sense of accountability. Knowing I was going to come here and tell you all about it kept me going!

4) I am far more appreciative now of any small kindness done to me and do not take it for granted as much as I did before.

5) Having an impressionable audience is hugely motivating. That my 4-year-old daughter was with me or watching me do most of these was a huge factor.

Here’s the rest of my list. Enjoy!

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51. Gave a compliment to a stranger at our hotel who was all dressed up and looking glamorous.

52. Ask more questions/listen more and talk less.

53. We bought toiletries and helped sort them into backpacks on the National Day of Service.

54. Let a driver know he had a box stuck under his car.

55. Gave my daughter’s teachers handmade thank you cards… just because.

56. I leave encouraging and complimentary compliments in Facebook for my art class peers.

57. Helped pick up what a mom holding a baby dropped in a store.

58. I make time every day to play with my daughter.

59. Thanked our lawn guys in Spanish for their work and offered them glasses of water.

60. I’ve been buying a canned good each time I go to the grocery store and then on our way out, letting my daughter toss it in the donation bin by the door.

61. Called a friend to reconnect.

62. I bought bubbles for the kids at our local park and we blew them one afternoon.

63. Made a donation in support of a friend running in an Ironman.

64. Held the elevator for a couple and they were surprised and thankful.

65. Gave some books we have outgrown to my little nephew.

66. Gave a friend some photography magazines I no longer need.

67. Let go of a grievance. (This was a huge kindness to myself too.)

68. Thanked someone for excellent customer service.

69. I always say a quick prayer that everyone is ok when I hear a siren.

70. Helped my hubby organize his new office and hang up some artwork.

71. We recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, and glass every day.

72. Returned a shopping cart to the store.

73. Held the door for someone.

74. Gave someone a coupon that I didn’t need while shopping.

75. Left these notes and chocolates on people’s car windshields to brighten their day. They read, “Surprise! This is a random act of kindness.”

76. Helped a friend celebrate the birth of their son.

77. Voted for a friend to win a contest.

78. Listened to a friend who was having a bad day.

79. Sent some resources (helpful websites, etc.) to a friend moving into our neighborhood.

80. Wrote a cute note for my daughter to find when she opens her lunchbox.

81. Passed along a magazine article that I thought my mom would like.

82. Bought a cup of coffee for the person in line behind me.

83. Made a point to smile at 10 strangers in a day. Easy.

84. Picked up trash in the school parking lot.

85. Taped $1 to a vending machine.

86. Straightened an area of a store a little while I was shopping.

87. When I remember, I use my reusable shopping bags.

88. Forwarded an e-mail coupon to someone I knew would want and use it.

89. Took some cookies over to our local fire station. My daughter enjoyed an impromptu tour of their fire engines.

90. Donated some old books to my mom’s group.

91. Shared my umbrella.

92. Offered a free photo session to a friend with a new baby.

93. Gave someone directions.

94. Wrote Valentine’s Day poems for my hubby and my daughter telling them how much I love them.

95. Spent a few minutes photographing things around the house that I thought were pretty, like these wind chimes.

96. Donated to AJWS’s grassroots fundraising in support of women around the world working to secure their rights. “Purim is coming up and naturally I find myself thinking about Esther—a brave woman who risked her own safety to save people targeted by the authorities. But this story of Esther doesn’t take place long ago in Ancient Persia—it’s unfolding right now in Kenya, as Esther, a local leader of an organization supported by AJWS, fights for the rights of people who are oppressed today.” When you donate to AJWS, you are empowering over 400 grassroots organizations in the developing world to work in their own communities to realize their human rights and end poverty.

97. Saw a woman on crutches trying to get a shopping cart and I helped her.

98. Finally got a babysitter and took my hubby out on a breakfast date.

99. Took Creative With Kids‘s advice as part of Toddler Approved’s week 4 challenge and gave some nurturing to myself. Surprisingly difficult for me!

100. Corrected the checkout lady when she told me an incorrect (lower) price for our painting when I took my daughter to paint pottery. I like to support local business anyway.

And just for good measure…

101. A local church is collecting clothes and household items for Christian halfway houses for those moving forward into new apartments (with absolutely nothing) after recovering from alcohol and/or drug addictions. I gave them a bag of my daughter’s outgrown clothing as well as some kitchen items we don’t need.

Let’s continue spreading kindness any way we can. Have a lovely weekend friends!