During the 2011 holiday season, I heard of some wonderful and very generous acts of kindness from anonymous donors throughout the Metro Atlanta area. An elderly couple paid off lay-aways for people who couldn’t afford to pick up their items; a group of dental practitioners provided free cleaning and other dental procedures to over 200 people; the co-workers of a low-income, single mother bought gifts for her daughter, groceries, and cleaned and decorated her home.
Well, the holidays are over, now what? Do we allow the same people who were hungry during the holidays to go without daily meals because Christmas isn’t around the corner? Do we stop providing the unemployed or under-employed with financial support just because we no longer have the holiday spirit? I certainly hope not.
Oprah Winfrey, an entertainment mogul and one of the greatest philanthropists has the true heart of a giver. She sees a need, opens up her wallet and gets major corporations to do the same. You may be thinking, “If I had as much money as Oprah I’d give away millions of dollars too.” But it’s not just the money; it’s her love and attitude towards giving.
Regardless of the amount of money in your bank account, you have something to give. Time, love, a smile, compassion, a hug or a helping hand are simple, daily things that can be given in abundance. They cost you nothing financially but pay off heavily for those in need.
It’s unfortunate that our society puts so much value on the mighty dollar that simple, heart-felt acts of kindness get over looked, and are often taken for granted. Holding the door for someone on a cold, rainy day or sharing words of encouragement with the cashier who’s obviously having a bad day, are helpful and appreciated actions from the heart.
While perusing through the clearance aisles at a Famous Footwear, a young lady standing next to me intended to pull out one box, and surprisingly yanked several others with it. She called out, “Mom help me!” Unfortunately, her mother was too far away to prevent any of the boxes from tumbling to the floor and making a mess. Being the person closest to her, I quickly reached out my hands and to catch the boxes making their way to the carpet and positioned my body so others wouldn’t fall off the shelf. Through her embarrassment she managed to whisper, “Thank you.” Seconds later her mother joined us and thanked me several times. I could hear the sincerity in her voice and see the gratitude in her eyes for coming to her daughters rescue. “Your welcome,” I replied with a smile and walked away feeling warm and mushy inside. An unexpected opportunity to help a young lady in need, added an extra dose of joy to not only her day, but mine as well.
Instead of waiting for a need to arise, what if we searched for needs and decided to fill them.
Not anything big or over the top, but simple, intentional, random acts of kindness to bring more joy and peace to the world. With this in mind, I challenge you, and myself, to perform daily acts of intentional kindness. Ask yourself, what little thing can I do to make someone else’s life better? Who needs my help? What assistance can I easily and quickly provide? What actions from my heart would make one smile? What can I do for free that’s worth millions to another? Pick one or two actions then commit to doing them daily. I’ve chosen to give compliments and words of encouragement to as many people as possible. Nothing brightens the day faster then positive recognition. What about you? What will you do? There’s someone out there who needs what you’re willing to give; make sure you connect with those people, so they can receive an intentional act of kindness from your heart.
I want to extend my deepest gratitudes to LaShawn for being our guest blogger this week and I look forward to future contributions from this powerful light! Thank you my dear!
About the Author
LaShawn McCrary, is dedicated to helping women become whole and live intentionally by empowering them to take control of their destiny and experience spiritual, professional, social, intellectual, physical and personal completeness.
LaShawn always believed God had created her for a purpose but spent the early years of her life, like many women, not knowing what it was. After a decade of career changes and looking out windows thinking she should be somewhere else, doing something different, she finally stopped searching around her and began exploring inside. Now she's fulfilling her purpose by delivering messages and providing coaching that empowers women to grow closer to God, pursue their dreams, love themselves and be a blessing to everyone around them. One of her greatest heart's desires is to help women break thourgh barries and live life to its fullest.
She shares her energy and excitement for life during her presentations and every Sunday morning at 8am ET during Intentional Life, her Blog Talk Radio show.
LaShawn holds a BA in Communications from Bowling Green State University and is a former certified trainer for Fred Pryor/CareerTrack Seminars. She's also experienced in television production, sales, customer service, ministry and personal training.
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