random acts of kindness and society: my thoughts or a rant, however you'd like to see it

"Prepare your mind to receive the best that life has to offer." - Ernest Holmes

I think there is something to be said about this quote and its relation to giving and random acts of kindness. I am a fan of this quote and believe that there is a great deal of power behind it. having a positive mental attitude and outlook on life can, I believe, make your life better by leaps and bounds, simply because you are looking for the good and making the most of it. In turn, your positive mental attitude can rub off on those you come across, potentially creating a ripple effect.

That being said, this is a concept that is easier said than done. It can be hard to stay positive when we are continuously confronted by negative media--wars, violence, civil unrest, the list could go on. Couple that with the ever widening gap of social and economic inequality and it can seem even more challenging. There may be people who have been so beaten down by the system or burned so many times that they become leery or skeptical of random acts of kindness and unsolicited giving. They can't see what it is exactly that constitutes "the best that life has to offer." Should we fault them for this?
[Note: I should have prefaced this entry by saying I'm a social worker who feels strongly about the need for systemic change, particularly among the impoverished in our society]

I'm not saying we should just give up and not try to change things, quite the opposite. Rather, I'm saying that we need to understand that it is not easy for everyone to see the goodness in life or, more to the matter, to see the goodness in strangers. After all, we raise our children telling them not to talk to strangers...maybe some have just taken the lesson a little more seriously than others.

I also believe that because of the resistance that we may face to these random acts of kindness it is even more important that the kindness being dished out is organic, natural, and genuine. And I'm not saying that the acts that have been carried out thus far have not been genuine, because I truly believe that they have been. I'm saying that we should not fault others for not carrying out the same acts of kindness because they are uncomfortable. If the person is uncomfortable then the chances of their action(s) coming across as disingenuous or "creepy" are much higher; in which case the recipient may be pushed further down the path of seeing life cynically.

An earlier entry indicated that they felt that those who were uncomfortable performing random acts of kindness had not received them (sorry if I misinterpreted this). I have to say I disagree. As someone who has benefited from random acts of kindness, I can honestly say that there are some types of random kindness that I am simply not comfortable with. I've never been great with approaching strangers, so were I to perform random acts of kindness that involved approaching random strangers, it might not go so well--for either of us.

So I say, do what works for you. Do what feels natural and flows easily from you, because then it can be truly and positively impactful. It doesn't take one large, earth shattering thing either...there is immense, and often untapped, power in the little things--smiles, holding doors, saying hello, have a nice day, and thank you. Seeing the kind of societal change that has been talked about will not be quick and easy, it's a marathon. While I've never run a marathon, I understand that it takes a steady pace and lots of practice...the same could be said for goodness and change. The first step is to see the goodness within yourself and then spread it to those around you, because "goodness is contagious."