When is the last time you have done a random act of kindness ?

"When is the last time you have done a random act of kindness?";....Asked the teacher.We were into a one week training session.This happened several years back.This was one of those early morning training program and on the third day the teacher asked this question and declared “You all should do a random act of kindness, get back and share the experiences” and started explaining about kindness and Random act of kindness......It’s a great way to help heal humanity. We should really start doing it ourselves as part of our daily life and not rely on others anymore to make the world a better place..To put it very simply this means we make a deliberate attempt to brighten or help another person (or even a stranger) by doing something thoughtful, caring and concerned for them...

Well with a mind clearly charged up and defined to do a “Random act of kindness” we all came out of our class room in that morning…….

I was too eager to do something immediately…Spotted the person who was in the back bench in the same class room a little while ago walking …Asked “DO you need a drop?, Promptly came the reply, “I live across the road”...(Being kind is doing something more meaningful and not just doing something for the sake of it I realized it later.......)

Determined to do something more meaningful started driving home looking for every possible opportunities.

Fine; Would do something for my wife.(Charity begins at home?!) Reached home and asked in the most pleasing manner!; “Do you need any help before you go for work? I could even drop you to office today. And she replied....“Since you go for this class so early in the morning I also start my day very early and finished all the chores and I am joining my colleague who goes early and who is likely to pass by our house now”…..NO luck.!

On the way to work I was looking for elderly people walking thinking that I will offer a drop to someone who is in need of that…..Was unlucky again!

I generally pass by an orphanage on my way which I visit often and support in whatever possible manner...I have always seen the young boy who assists the caretaker at that place and I knew he needed the financial help for his studies. And done a little bit for the boy earlier too , thought of catching up with him again…The caretaker said the boy is no longer interested in studies and moved back to his native village .

By now I have started getting frustrated, I had this as a sort of my “corporate goal” to finish this task and was already started feeling like an under performer…..

I knew that Driver Shiva needed help and for quite some time I have avoided him “unknowingly”! But in the process of searching for him realized that he too relocated recently…

Thought of calling my other classmates who all had the same “agenda” to find how much they have progressed. Some said they will finish the work for the day first, Some didn't answer my call only! .Another friend who answered my call said he was too eager to “finish it off” that he just thrown away money on someone!!.Wait a minute..That is not random act of kindness...I ended up screaming unknowingly on the phone..

Stopped at the restaurant tried to have a cup of tea, Seen this boy cleaning and always felt sorry for the young boy doing the cleaning work when actually he should be attending school!, Thought of calling him and wanted to offer him any help for studies or whatever…I waved at him several times so that I could ask what he needed the most, he kept on sending the same arrogant waiter instead and this happened a couple of times, It was so agonizing that I stopped thinking of helping him….(Many a times those who are in need of your help the most would never come up to you and ASK, A big lesson learnt....)

Thought I will be nice with my colleagues and help someone……I still can’t figure it out;-"the strange ways” of life at the workplace, When you want to help someone at workplace out of the way you may even be looked up with a lot of skepticism....

I was tired! by the time I reached home, remembered that I haven’t done my random act yet.I saw my maid who was about to leave as I entered the house,And I remembered that ,I have a task to be completed!.,Without any further thought I handed over her some money as a random gift .She gave a “bewildered” look but probably by sensing some helpless look on my face took it! and then started weeping telling us that how her mother in her native place is not keeping well & how badly she has been wanting to go and meet her ailing mother far away! She needed some amount of money not only to travel but also to take her mother to the hospital and all such ..The tears in her eyes explained how much this money meant to her..How she travelled to her native place and how "just in time" hospitalization helped the elderly lady survive is a different story altogether.................

Well friends...Opportunity to help someone might be just that easy!.

You might have read about this Airline company which decided to reward their customers through Random Act of Kindness sometime back.., So they decided to look up for the names of all the people travelling with them on a particular date using social media websites to get a glimpse of who they are, what are their passion, interest, likes etc and bought them as per the information obtained secretly a small random gift.When these customers got to the destination, they each found someone waiting for them with their name written on a sign…and there was a small yet a personalized gift waiting for them that really touched them!

Many a times in our hectic life we tend to forget about all such fine qualities we all had(!) as kids and probably forgot in the process of going up?Random act of kindness is something we all could practice in our daily life.There is an amazing movie called "Pay it forward" which conveys the message very well.

"Those who make compassion an essential part of their lives find the joy of life. Kindness deepens the spirit and produces rewards that cannot be completely explained in words. It is an experience more powerful than words. To become acquainted with kindness one must be prepared to learn new things and feel new feelings. Kindness is more than a philosophy of the mind. It is a philosophy of the spirit" The above quote from Robert J. Furey sums it up all nicely!

Do you have any such experiences with Random Acts of Kindness which you would like to share with all?

Let us make it a habit to practice Random act of kindness.At the end if not anything you will be left with a very positive feeling..I request you to come back and share your experiences..Let us not stop it here...Please take it forward!

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