Life Flip or Flop Weekly: Acts of Kindness

For the second week of “Life Flip or Flop,” I set up a new Instagram poll and, after a nail-biting final round, the verdict was chosen: do acts of kindness everyday. Although this is something everyone should do on a regular basis, it was now my job to plan them out for the week. However, they would not be acts of kindness if I did not keep some level of anonymity.

After calling my grandparents and giving my father a small gift of appreciation, my heart felt warmed. Small acts where I acknowledged the people I did not realize I was overlooking were actually the ones that made me feel most complete. I was able to reaffirm that when I leave for college, I will still visit my parents; to my surprise, this was a speech they needed to hear. So, I recommend calling the people who mean the most to you. Sometimes they do not know they are not forgotten.

While this week was enjoyable, random acts of kindness are not built to be planned. I would recommend doing the below list on a whim rather than during a constructed week so they can truly be random. Some of the random acts of kindness I did involved jobs people have but my act made their job easier. Unfortunately, I received a lot of judgement from my parents for “not letting the workers do their own job” when I would place back an item where I found it. This brought light to the idea that “no good deed goes unpunished.” While it was discouraging to not get a high five for doing what I thought was nice, what matters is that I know I did the right thing. That portion of the week may have been a flop, but there will always be critiques, what matters is your own intention. Now, here’s a list of 100 random acts of kindness you can do to brighten the world. Try to do ten by the end of the week and all fifty by the end of the month.

Verdict: Flop

After using a shopping cart, return it to its correct place.
Give someone a 100% tip one day.
Tell someone they dropped a dollar even though they did not and give them a dollar.
Play “Free Rice” to help feed the world.
Place homemade bookmarks with inspiring messages on them in books in the library.
Send a letter to someone in need through “More Love Letters.”
Make a “Holiday Jar” where you collect all your spare change in a mason jar for a year and then give the jar to someone in need.
Send a letter to kids that need it through “Send Kids the World.”
Make a closed jar of “fairy dust” (glitter) to give to little kids and give them a speech on how they are special.
Make dog toys out of old shirts to give to animal shelters. Organizations such as Key Club do events like this during the school year. Reach out to Arnaldo Ferrebus (current Key Club President) at [email protected] if you are interested in joining.
Compliment strangers.
Pay forward someone’s coffee.
Visit a retirement home and read, sing and/or converse with the people there.
Clean up the beach.
Call a family member you have not talked to in a long time and catch up with them.
Leave extra quarters by a parking meter or laundromat.
Prepare a meal for a loved one.
Donate clothes/blankets to a homeless shelter.
Volunteer at Feeding South Florida.
Do not complain for a whole day.
Learn the names of people that help you and greet them by name (ex. Security guards or janitors.)
Open the door for someone.
Give your umbrella to a stranger.
Buy your waiter/waitress dessert.
Say goodmorning or goodnight to friends or strangers.
Offer to tutor someone for free if they need help.
Send care packages to soldiers overseas.
Hold the elevator door open for someone.
Have a heart to heart conversation with a friend so they do not feel alone.
Donate to a charity like Project Alive.
Make your parents a card to show how much you appreciate them.
Donate coloring books and crayons to a children’s hospital.
Dry the slides at the park after it rains.
Smile. It’s contagious.
Leave a positive comment or review on something you enjoyed.
Become an organ donor and donate blood.
Play with animals at the local shelter.
Write a thank you note or give a gift to a teacher that has impacted your life positively.
Forgive someone who has wronged you.
Become a big brother or big sister.
Agree to donate when a cashier asks you about donating to a cause at checkout.
Volunteer at the Special Olympics.
Genuinely congratulate others on their successes.
Spread the word for people’s businesses that you enjoy.
Tell someone when they have changed your life so they feel appreciated.
Buy or make someone a meal.
Help guide an animal across the street if it is stuck and afraid.
Be accepting and inclusive of people when they open up to you.
Put back items where you found them.