Random Acts of Kindness Day: How You Can Be Part of the Good

At HMNKIND, we’ve been talking about random acts of kindness as we’re driven by doing good and inspired by others who do good. We were recently posting stories about individuals who were doing kind things but realized that as much as we’re inspired by others doing kind deeds, the impact we can have as a company was more than reposting inspirational stories on our IG account.

1. 50% off to all essential workers. Are you an essential worker? Get your discount here.
2. Donated $6265 to Color of Change - our 2021 non-profit partner who’s mission is to, “end practices that unfairly hold Black people back…”
3. Begin engaging with the local and national food bank organizations to establish our 2021 non-profit partner. We are committing 10% of profits to fight the food crisis and insecurity faced by over 50 million people in America. Our 2021 goal at HMNKIND is to provide over 80,000 meals to Americans in need.

All of the above is exciting to be a part of, but to be honest, I’m already a little exhausted from 2021. How is it already mid-February? We recently moved the entire company to a new location, and we did not use movers. We downsized from a 30,000+ square foot location to a 10,000 square foot space, and the fatigue is real. How quickly the New Year’s high faded with every truckload loaded and unloaded!

I realize that the first thing that goes when I’m burnt out is my overall patience and kindness to others. I don’t want to stay in this state of grumpiness, so I challenged myself to do something about it. I hope that I can also encourage you that even one small kind action can be enough. We can get through the pits (of the pandemic) or even the feeling of being burnt out with a sense of purpose and hope by taking actions for the greater good. There’s no better time than now. Literally, there is actually a designated day for Random Acts of Kindness which is February 17, 2021.

Get into a Kindness mindset by contemplating some of the below:

I’m pretty challenged by #3 and #5. The golden rule was the moral standard growing up, so it just doesn’t seem fair. But then I go to #6, and it blows me away. It’s a radical change of perspective and I’m just beginning to open myself up to it.

Now that you have a few things to chew on, also know that there is a reciprocity phenomena effectively rewarding kind actions. So, you never know what kind of goodness the universe will throw back at you! Here are Acts of Kindness that you can do:

Kindness for the people closest to you - Pick up some housework that you usually don’t do and do it well - For me, this would be doing the dishes! Or write a short, kind message on a post-it note and leave it in an obvious shared space. My husband does this for me sometimes, and it changes my entire day!
Kindness for a service worker - Tip a little bit more graciously. Even to the folks who could take a lesson or two on customer service. Most people who work in the service industry that receive tips rely on these tips for a majority of their income.
Kindness for the community - Donate to a food bank. The food crisis is exploding due to the economic challenges faced by so many in the pandemic. Anything you can share from your pantry will make a difference.
Kindness for the marginalized - Stand up for injustice - stand up for and with others who have been bullied or marginalized by the system. Educate yourself on the issues and find ways to be a part of the solution.
Kindness for the planet - Recycle and reduce unnecessary consumption. For the love of Mother Earth, just buying a little less can make an impact!
Kindness to yourself - Let go of perfectionism. It doesn’t serve you. Let go of regret and make space for joy, gratitude and kindness.

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
- Maya Angelou