Five_rak_week_balloons

I hope your week is off to a great start!  This week happens to be International Random Acts of Kindness Week!

So to that end, why not take some time this week to shake up your normal routine, step out of your comfort zone and attempt a new random act of kindness as often as you can? There are stories of kindness, educator resources, kindness ideas, and more at randomactsofkindness.org that may be just what you need to live and give freely, and generally get psyched to be kind. Cause kindness is kool 😉 See below for details from the forward thinking group of world-changers at RAK:
What is International RAK week? 
RAK Week is a worldwide celebration of kindness that takes place the second full week in February each year.

When are other important calendar dates for RAK? 
Although we encourage everyone to practice kindness daily, here a few special opportunities to do so:
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 5-9, 2014
World Kindness Day: annually on November 13.
Established in 1995, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) is an internationally recognized nonprofit headquartered in Denver, CO, dedicated to inspiring people to practice kindness and pass it on to others. RAK provides free online resources to encourage acts of kindness across the globe, specifically in school communities.

What are RAK’s goals? 
1. To inspire others to be kind.

2. Legitimize kindness as a way to improve society.

3. Be a highly-regarded, visible social and emotional learning education program.

2014 RAK Week Ideas 
1. Just smile at one extra person.

2. Eat lunch with someone new—at school, at the office or just out and about.

3. Make sure to say I love you or give someone special an extra hug.

4. Volunteer for a Special Olympics Team, coach a youth sports team or even referee for an hour on a recreational league.

5. Take your kindness digital by downloading Kindle from the Apple App Store. Then brighten someone’s day by sending a creative compliment, a hug, or even a cute animal video.

6. Try a new vegetable or fruit or even try and cook something healthy and new for you or your family.

7. Attempt to park your car a little further away than normal as to provide that sweet spot for a pregnant lady, a person with special needs, an elderly person or someone who just needs a little more ease.

8. Send a positive message to someone in need or help someone who might not need it, but appreciates it.

9. Donate unwanted or unused clothes or household goods to a shelter, non-profit or animal rescue organization.

10. If you feel you just must make a monetary contribution and are insistent, buy someone’s groceries or offer to help pay for someone in line.
As a college psychology major, I am fascinated by this question: Can kindness really improve society? If this intrigues you also, visit randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-research
for research and studies describing the science of kindness.

A few other great places to visit this week:
Kindness Knows No Calendar,
Celebrating Acts of Kindness Week Pinterest Board, and Small Acts, Big Difference.

Let me know in the comments below if you have any other good ideas for inspiring kindness and giving this week and EVERY week!