It's Fall! For many of us #RAKStars, fall is a magical time full of leaves and presents and holidays and family. But some people, don't have an easy time with the changing of the seasons. Some people may suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or maybe they just don't have family close and so aren't looking forward to the holiday season. Whatever the reason, it's always a perfect time to RAK!
Random Acts of Kindness (we call them RAK's around here) are small acts that you can do to spread cheer and happiness. It's been scientifically proven that one Random Act of Kindness can spread cheer exponentially. So we encourage you to pick a RAK from the list below and do at least one a week through December. You'll be surprised how much this will lift your spirits and those of your friends, neighbors, and hopefully a few strangers too!
This one is good for early fall. Do you have a neighbor who works all the time? Or maybe there's an older neighbor who has a hard time doing their yard work themself. Go introduce yourself and let them know you would like to rake their yard. It's a #RakeRAK
Call three friends and ask everyone to look in their cupboards. We guarantee between the four of you, you can find 10 to 20 cans of perfectly good food that you aren't using. Make sure the cans of food aren't past their expiration date. Gather your "food drive" items and donate to a local shelter. You can find a local food pantry by visiting FeedingAmerica.org. This is a national website that will help you find a food pantry near you that accepts canned food donations.
BONUS: You and your friends can sign up to volunteer for a shift to help the shelter out.
You know that park or stretch of road you like to walk, it's a beautiful space but trash tends to accumulate in public spaces. Grab a pair of gloves and a trash bag and go for a walk in your favorite public space. Did you know there's actually a name for this? It's called Plogging! And apparently it's good for your glutes!
Isn't it fun to get a real letter in the mail! One that's not a bill or a piece of junk mail? Grab a piece of paper and a pen and take 10 minutes to write a letter to a friend. They don't have to live far away. You can even send a letter to a friend that lives down the block. This will cost one stamp which is currently 55¢. You can check current postal rates on USPS.com
This is similar to writing a letter to a friend but it's an anonymous happy note. You can cut a piece of paper up into small 4 x 4 blocks. We like to use a piece of brightly colored paper but even lined notepaper will work. Carry these small pieces of paper around with you and whenever you see someone who looks like they need a RAK you can write a short note and leave it for them. Sometimes we like to leave notes on parked cars too. Here are some potential RAK Notes phrases to get you started...
You've been RAK'd! The universe wants you to know to have a great day. #RandomActofKindness
It's a beautiful day! We hope you enjoy it. #RandomActofKindness
Smile! You can light up a room. #RandomActofKindness
Happy Random Act of Kindness Day! The universe is sending you good vibes. #RandomActofKindness
We all love our Grandma's (and Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandpa's, etc) but we don't always talk to them enough. Especially if we don't happen to live in the same city. Pick up the phone and call that family member you haven't seen or talked to in over a month.
You know how you end up stalking people on social media? You don't know this person at all or maybe they are a friend of a friend but you love their life and all their posts. Yeah, that person. Write a genuine compliment to them on their next Insta Post, Facebook Post, Tweet, whatever. Sometimes it's as simple as letting them know that you love their content. Ex. Your pictures make me so happy! Thank you for always brightening my day.
Go through your library at home and Marie Kondo your books. Take every book that doesn't "spark joy" and donate it to your local library. You can also add these to your local Little Free Library if there's one in your neighborhood.
BONUS RAK: If you don't have a Little Free Library close to you, build one!
We all have that friend. The one who is doing amazing things with their life. They are an artist, or a community advocate, or they are raising three amazing kids! Whatever your friend is doing we have found that those amazing friends often don't think that what they are doing is all that amazing. Reach out to your friend and tell them how amazing you think they are. You can do this in a social post, on the phone, or even reach out to your local news station to share their story. Often recognition for a job well done can be one of the best RAK's of all.
This is the easiest RAK of all! And brings immediate happiness to you and all around you. Smile as you walk down the street. Smile at strangers, at the barista when you're picking up your coffee. Smile at a baby and the cute puppy walking down the street. Sometimes we even catch ourselves smiling at the trees! A smile is much more powerful than you think. Did you know that a smile can actually "trick your brain into happiness?" It's true! You can read up on the science here.
Whatever Random Act of Kindness you decide to do this fall, we hope you have a great time with it! RAK's brighten our days and we want them to brighten yours too.
Have you been RAK'd or have a great story of RAK'ing someone else? Share your story with us and we'll add it to RAK wall. You can submit your story here.
