Acts of Kindness: 20 Day Challenge

The holiday season is upon us.  Even though things may be different this year due to COVID, the spirit of the holiday season should not change.  It is the time to show appreciation for the things we have and the positives in our lives.  It is the time of year to think of others not just with gifts, but with our words and actions.  We can help make other people happy through our acts of kindness.

Being kind does not have to mean buying an expensive gift or donating a large amount of money to charity.  These are still nice things to be able to do.  However, the small things we do can make an equally important impact in someone else’s life.  We may not even realize it at the time.  This can be something as simple as smiling or asking how their day was.

We often forget that we must also be kind to ourselves.  We can be our own worst critic and constantly judge ourselves for not looking or being a certain way.  A majority of as are guilty of this.  It is important to take the time to reflect on the things we love about ourselves.  Writing them down is a great way to remind yourself daily of why you are so great.  This acts of kindness challenge also includes some acts meant to help you be more kind to yourself.

 

I worked as a cashier at a grocery store chain for a few years when I was in high school and college.  There were a lot of different customers who would come through.  We all tried to avoid the notoriously rude or grumpy ones, since they earned a reputation for themselves among us all.  It really made my day when someone would come through my line with a genuine smile and would ask how I was doing or have a nice conversation with me.  I have heard that you can judge a person based on how they act towards people in the service industry and I could not agree more with this sentiment.

I also experienced a wide variety of acts of kindness after we lost our daughter, Jasmine, in 2018.  Friends and family sent us gifts, flowers, and gift cards.  Others sent us hand written cards and messages.  Others were simply there to listen when we needed to talk and grieve.  All of these acts of kindness were equally important and meaningful for me.  Sometimes, I think we forget about some of the simple acts we can do like just listening to someone when they need it.

 

 

How does the 20 Acts of Kindness Challenge Work?

The challenge consists of you doing 20 specified acts of kindness.  Some of the acts are for others and some of them are acts of kindness to do for yourself.  You will receive an email every 3 days.  The email will list out 3 different actions for you take to help bring some more kindness into the world.

Those who successfully complete the challenge will be eligible to be entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card.

 

What if I can’t afford to participate?

I wanted this to be something that everyone can participate in.  Therefore, the acts are mostly free or have a minimal cost.   Minimal costs may include the cost of a card or stamp.  By doing it this way, it allows more people to participate.  If there is a certain act of kindness that you are not able to do for any reason due to financial reasons or other, you can substitute one of your own.  The important thing is that you do 20 acts of kindness.

Why offer a prize?

Being kind is important to me.  I was fortunate to be able to experience a lot of kindness from others in my life and I want to pay it forward and inspire others to want to do better too.  It is my hope that more people will want to participate if there is a prize.  I also hope it will inspire people to continue to search for acts of kindness they can do in their daily lives.

Offering the prize is also my way of being kind for all of you willing to help me bring more kindness and happiness into the world.

How am I eligible for the prize?

You must perform all the acts of kindness listed in the emails.  If you are not able to do a certain act of kindness as listed, then you can do a different act.  There are no skipping of acts.  You must do 20 acts of kindness.

There will also be a few questions I ask in various emails throughout the challenge that will require a response in order to be eligible.  Everyone who successfully completes the challenge will be entered to win the $25 Amazon gift card.

When will the winner be announced?

The drawing will be held on January 15 and will be announced on Instagram and Facebook, so be sure to follow us.  Originally, the challenge was designed to start on December 1 and run through right before Christmas.  Since this is an important mission for me, I wanted to extend the timeframe, so more people can participate.  You can start anytime, as long as you are able to finish by January 14.