Simple Acts of Goodness

Get acquainted with the power of simple human kindness and easy acts of goodness every day. When at the grocery store, return the shopping cart or help the elderly man struggling with his bags. Open doors for people. Say “Hello” with a smile. Every day and in every way choose to take the high road in your travels. The view is much more beautiful from up top!

Live Aloha

In the beautiful paradise known as the Hawaiian Islands, there is a tradition of “Living Aloha.” In Hawaiian culture, aloha includes the concepts akahai, lokahi, olu` olu, ha`aha`a, and ahonui- in English, these words translate to kindness, bringing unity, politeness, humility, and enduring. If you live your life with simple acts of goodness every day and follow the tradition of native Hawaiian islanders, you will surely become good in the world.

The Keys to Kindness

https://keystokindness.org/community-impact/

If you are like me, you can end up with so many old keys you end up looking like a janitor! Find out how you can unlock some goodness ay keysforkindness.com. Donate your old keys to help fight Multiple Sclerosis.

It’s the Thought that Counts

    Leave something useful in an area where it will be most needed: an umbrella next to a public doorway or a spare bag at the grocery store for those who forgot theirs. Practice tiny acts of kindness!

Games That Give

Even online gaming can be philanthropic- try out Games That Give, at gamesthatgive.net/play. This website donates approximately 70% of their advertising revenue to charitable causes. Everyone wins here.

Emit Good Vibes

    Take stock of your day-to-day life. Are you giving to others or is there an imbalance? Do your work and your immediate family get 99% of what you offer the world? You can change that in one day. Donate more of your time or money to a charity. Supporting a cause will help keep you informed about social issues and can strengthen your sense of well being, while benefiting others in the process. Additionally, monetary donations are tax deductible, which is really just a bonus: the real reward is not just on April 15 but comes the other 364 days of the year.

Good Karma

    Holding the elevator: a simple yet kind idea. If you are inside an elevator and see someone approaching as the doors close, hold the doors open to let them in. You might make a nice connection and the person will appreciate this gesture. Rack up those karma points.

Your Friends from the Farm

    Gene and Lorri Bauston found a living sheep abandoned on a stockyard “dead pile” in 1986. Once they recovered from the shock, they rescued the sheep, named her Hilda, and went to work creating the Farm Sanctuary. Within ten years, Farm Sanctuary became the nation’s largest farm animal rescue and protection organization. They now have a New York shelter and one in California, 100 miles north of Sacramento. Their website is farmsanctuary.org. Not only does their organization rescue thousands of farm animals each year, but they are also involved in groundbreaking campaigns to help animals. Another way you can support this effort is to visit a sanctuary with your kids, as they often include quaint petting zoos with fuzzy critters!

Make Time for Gratitude Every Day

    When we begin a daily practice of recognizing the positive events that occur and the pleasant encounters we have with others, we will start being more thankful as the days pass. Perhaps it’s someone who holds the door for you at the supermarket, the nice conversation you have with a stranger while at the coffee shop, or a hug with someone you love. These are the small moments, and often the ones we forget. Savor their beauty and what they tell you about mankind- that we do live among many good people.

No Gossip

    Avoid listening to or spreading gossip. This is a really hard one in our tabloid society, but gossip can be avoided. For one thing, it spreads negative energy all around. Say something nice instead. And mean it!

Remember, It’s Not All About You

    Be punctual. Arrive on time to events. It’s polite and professional, and you don’t want to keep others waiting for you.

Just Say Yes

    I (re)learned this truly vital lesson from Imperfect Spirituality author and blogger Polly Campbell: Once today, say “yes” to something unexpected that comes into your life. 

    Know that you are enough to handle whatever emergencies from the yes. Know that you have the whole Universe supporting you. Believe that you will have a good time and learn something that you need to know. Exercise your faith by taking the Universe up on the good things that come your way and practice your optimism by believing that there is more to come.

    Just. Say. Yes. Then take two minutes to reflect and answer these questions for yourself:

*What did you say “yes” to today?

*Were you inclined to first say “no”? Why?

*How did you feel when you said “yes”?

*What did you learn about yourself by saying “yes” to do this thing?

*What do you know now that you didn’t know before you took the leap?

Friend a Family

    Sponsor a low-income family via boxproject.org. The Box Project joins struggling families in depressed regions of rural America with individuals or groups who send about $50 worth of food, clothing, and medical supplies monthly. The idea is not just to provide financial support, but emotional support as well. Most participants develop long-term relationships over many years, cemented through letters. In addition, the organization encourages volunteers to learn about where the family they help lives, so they can impact public services and local policy. I know this is helping a lot of people in my home state of West Virginia where hard times remain.

Think Good Thoughts

    Each morning, I state the intention of my day by thinking about all the good things that are going to happen. I also think good thoughts for my friends and loved ones, especially those going through difficulty. It certainly doesn’t cause any problems and I know it helps me, a lot.

Ready for Anything

Take a CPR class. You never know when you might be in a position to put those life-saving skills into practice. Visit heart.org to find out where you can take a class. Being prepared to save a life is smart and a big good.

Guilt-Free Beauty

    Be sure to buy beauty products that have not been tested on animals. Check with leapingbunny.org for a list of companies that do not test finished products, ingredients, or formulations on animals. You can also phone 1-888-546-CCIC (Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics) and they’ll be happy to send you a pocket-sized shopping guide to companies that manufacture with compassion. You can also look for the leaping bunny logo on cruelty-free products. Pretty on the outside and the inside!

#Helpful

    Are you software-savvy? Sign up to teach older adults computer and technology skills through SeniorNet (seniornet.org). Helping our elderly with tech skills is so rewarding. I have seen grandmothers go from never having emailed before to loving the world wide web and contributing their own wisdom, one tweet at a time.

Be an Anonymous Gifter

    Have you ever heard of the Bolinas Free Box? This institution began 30 years ago by accident. As the story goes, a young couple was departing the shores of Bolinas, California, and dumped some boxes of extra belongings behind at the community center as they left. The rather nice assortment of clothes, books, and household utensils drew some interested residents to have a look. By the end of the day, several other people had brought free stuff down to share. The Free Box took up residence in a shed between the health food store and the community center and has been providing all comers with all kinds of free fare ever since. The era of the free box was born.

Popcorn and a Movie

    Donate movies and toys to the children’s ward at your local hospital. Even better, stay and watch a movie in the social room and bring doctor-approved treats!

Cartloads of Kindness

This one is so simple that I really shouldn’t have to write it here, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t put their shopping carts away once they are done unloading their groceries! Walk the extra ten feet to the nearest shopping corral and roll the cart on in. Done! In addition, if you notice someone about to put their cart away and you need one, offer to take their shopping cart. These momentary connections that can happen in the frozen food aisle or parking lot are good for us. Keeps us human. Keeps us together.