We got started! And my adrenaline is pumpin!

Wow! That was really fun! My girls & I went out on a mission to find some RAoK to do. We walked the entire mall and scoped things out. The kids can't hardly stand it when we are at the mall and they don't get something, so we stopped at Mom's and got them a treat for some energy so we could get started! As we were leaving, a young family walked up with a little toddler pointing at the yummy desserts and picking out a treat. I turned to the mom as we left(sorry to be assumptive, but I think it's a safe guess) and tried to hand her $2 toward her child's treat. At first she seemed hesitant to accept until I broke the awkwardness by saying "you see my daughters & I are out tonight trying to complete our 365 RAoK for 2010 (our New Years Resolution) and I would like to offer this toward your bill and give you this ticket that you can keep as a reminder or you can use it to pass it forward to another stranger." Then she accepted the cash and had a huge smile on her face and said "Wow, Thank you very much!" The look on her face was what made us realize that's what all this is about.

#2 - we walked around some more to spend some quality time with each other. Later while we were walking, my 7 year old daughter, eating her treat from Mom's, jumped and squeeled, "Mommy - there's someone we can help!! Look! Look!" She tugged at my jacket and pulled me in the other direction. I looked down the hall and there was a woman pushing a stroller with 2 babies while trying to pull along another cart with another baby. My daughter asked me if we could help her because she looked like she could use it. We approached her and before I could even say a word my daughter was saying, "Ma'am! Ma'am! Can we help you with those babies?" She smiled so sweetly and said, "No, thank you though! Their mother is in this store so she'll be right out here." I had to speak to her to explain! I explained the same thing I did to people #1 and she said that was so sweet. I said, "You know what? This still made you feel very happy. So I still want to give you one of our tickets for our cause because this was my 7-year-old daughters idea and I don't want it to go unnoticed. So will you still accept our ticket as a Random Act?" She said, SURE! And she seemed to be very pleased!

#3 - When we first got to the mall there was an adult with 3 small children eating at a table. I told the kids we could offer to take their trays to the garbage for them and that RAoK don't always have to be about spending money. As we approached them we realized they had just started eating so our RAoK would turn into one of those acts we want to avoid...Random Acts of Awkwardness. But at the end of the night as we were leaving the mall they were still there and they had been pretty much done eating. So we approached them, (another adult had joined them), and I told them about our RAoK. They smiled and accepted our offer to clear their tables for them. I added a quick comment a little louder and toward the kids "and it's a great thing to teach the kids, RIGHT?" and winked at the adult.

I think we may have made a great night for a few people tonight. Our adrenaline was pumping when we left the mall and we were so happy!! I am so proud of my kids for doing such a great job!!

Here is what our new tickets say: "You have just been kinded! My goal is to complete 365 Random Acts of Kindness in 2010. Please visit to comment on your experience. Use this ticket to pass it forward to another stranger because "making little ripples of kindness will cause a tidal wave of happy people in our community."

Have a wonderful night everyone! Thank you for coming here to read my blog!!
HUGS,
Prudy

still working on it...

Well, I guess it might be a good thing that I don't have hundreds of followers yet, because I would lose them by now out of them being bored of my infrequency! HA! Sorry - to those who are my loyal first followers, as my start is more of a struggle than I ever thought it would be.

Here is the good news...I have been at least trying. But going out to actually look for RAoK is tougher than I thought it would be. My son and I went to the mall and dedicated some time in looking for some opportunities, but the ideas I had, he said, would be Random Acts of Awkwardness! And that is not my goal! TOO FUNNY!

In talking about this at work, people are asking me how this is going and I've been very honest in saying, especially in winter months, it is difficult. They agreed that summer months should be FAR easier to do a bunch of RAoK at a time, and I can't wait! One suggestion some wonderful girls at work had was to make some kind of item (blankets, scarves, etc) and bring them to a place where people are in need, like a cancer unit, a women's shelter, or some place. That will be fun to do!

Another wonderful thing that has already come of this is that people are talking about it! The simple fact that it is making an impact on some people to do a random act themselves, or coming up with thoughtful ideas is already causing positive energy to spread.

***Making little ripples of kindness in the world is going to cause a tidal wave of happy people.***

Off to a slow start...

So, things aren't off to the roaring start I had envisioned. However, I do have 2 RAoK to report, so that's good! The first one was last week when I was listening to CNN at work on my headphones, President Clinton had a broadcast about texting 20222 to donate $10 to the Haiti disaster. So on my next break, I immediately texted it and donated $10. I didn't consider that a RAoK, but someone convinced me that it was random and it was definitely an act of pure kindness, especially in a time where all of us are so strapped for money!

The 2nd one was when I was out hanging some Avon books on door knobs, a neighbor down the street thought I was delivering the shopping news and she started talking to me about how she misses getting the shopping news. I told her we deliver the shopping news in a different area, but that I would be happy to drop one off for her. She said I didn't have to do that for her and "go out of my way" but I quickly reminded her that I only live down the street and it would not be out of my way. But I also gave her the phone number to the St Cloud Times so she could call and ask them to add her to the delivery list for her carrier for the Hot Ticket/Shopping News. After I picked up our papers last night, we stopped by her house and dropped off a paper and one of my "tickets" that let her know she "has been kinded by Prudy's Random Acts of Kindness 2010".

It seems like such a little insignificant thing, but that's what this is all about. Those little insignificant things that someone might do for us (whether a stranger or not) that makes us smile real big on the inside and out, and makes our whole day feel good. If we all did that a couple of times per day, just think what a difference that would make. One of the many reasons I wanted to do 365 RAoK is because I firmly believe that one cannot reach any true success in their life unless they first lift up those around them and help them reach their successes first. And if we make them feel good that day, that is sure to help them want better for themselves, whether in a big or small way.

Thank you to my 2 followers so far! I love you Jeremy and Casey!! MUAH!!!

~Hugs & LOVE~
Prudy

Get Ready, Get Set.....

GO!!!! We just finished creating the 365 tickets we are going to use for the whole year! I am so excited!! My daughter is so excited too! We are going to go out today and get it started! When we get back we will report what we did for our first RAoK!!

CHEERS!!! Happy New Year!!