Starting a New Year’s Resolution early {Random Acts of Kindness} #26Acts
New Year's Resolutions are notorious for being that big promise to yourself – a chance to start new, and a kickstart to doing and being better – that usually goes by the wayside by about week 2, if not sooner. I have never really had big aspirations to make changes that would even qualify for a New Year's Resolution so when others are talking about it, I just like to listen and wish them good luck. Last year, I posted about my New Year's Goals (I was trying to avoid the "resolutions" word) and had big plans for the blog and for staying accountable to these goals. Yeah…that didn't work either.
This year, I'm breaking my fear of resolutions and I'm setting a goal that is reasonable, reachable, and is basically something that I do on a regular basis anyway. I'm just bringing it to the blog!
Pay It Forward meets Random Acts of Kindness
Back in June, I wrote a guest post for Marina at Energizer Bunnies' Mommy Reports listing ways that a blogger can Pay It Forward to other bloggers. This post came straight from my heart and flowed so quickly onto my keyboard because it is how I approach blogging and blogger support every day. This type of "thinking of others" is the way I strive to live my life and especially how I want to teach my boy.
This year, I want to take it a step further and begin Random Acts of Kindness both online and in public. I have also found a way to be "accountable" and other like-minded bloggers who are stepping out there as well to make this promise to themselves.
The Frugalette linky for #26Acts
Every morning when I open my email, I have a list of blogs' daily emails, those of my close friends and those that I just enjoy reading, and I open each one to see what they are saying for the day. Today when I opened up the email for Life with Captain Fussybuckets I saw a post about #26Acts of Kindness. I had read about Ann Curry's call to action as a way to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. I was curious to see what Gena had in mind, but they I learned that she was following suit to The Frugalette (another friend blogger…and why haven't I ever thought to subscribe to her awesome blog) and her linky for bloggers who are working toward #26Acts of Kindness. Oh yeah, I'm in!!
#26Acts of Kindness with my boy
Starting now (I'm not waiting for the new year), I am working toward logging my Random Acts of Kindness in honor of the victims in Connecticut. I also don't plan to stop there. Each of those 26 victims had a family and those family members are victims as well. There were hundreds of children who survived the attack and they are victims as well. Beyond this horror, there are Random Acts of VIOLENCE every day and while I believe that prayer for our nation and our people is the number one answer, the next best thing that I can do is to continue the Acts and to teach my boy to continue as well.
If I do one nice thing in my lifetime for one person who was about to lose control, and that changes the course from an act of violence to another act of kindness, then it will all be worthwhile.
Start with #26Acts and see what happens
Okay, I got a little off course and that's a lofty goal, so let's just start with 26 and see what happens. Follow along with me on Twitter and Instagram (I'll post pics of the acts when I can) and look for the #26Acts hashtag to see what others are doing as well.
Here are a few ideas that I have read to get started:
- Pay for a coffee or the meal of the person behind you in line.
- Let another driver have the right-of-way even when it isn't their turn.
- Fill someone's parking meter
- Pay off some else's layaway
I'm doing this, are you?!!
I would love to start doing the random acts of kindness to honor the victims in the Sandy Hook tragedy. I can think of some that I have done over the Holidays, but I like to make this a New’s Years Resolution to start doing Random Acts of Kindness into the new Year!
Great post Janet! The whole movement really spoke to me as well. We all want to do something, something to show there is still good in the world and the bad guys didnt win. Thanks for linking up. xx
Thank YOU, Isra, for kicking us into gear. <3