write a note, send a e-greeting “just to say hello” to someone who might need a pick me up

Well today I selected the task to send a “just to say hello” e-greeting. When I first thought about it, I thought to myself about who I knew who might need a pick me up. Well, in all reality, who couldn’t? It is wonderful whenever you get a greeting or smile from someone for no reason at all. Just knowing that someone was thinking of you is quite often in itself a pick me up even if you are having a good day.

Therefore, I sent out a whole bunch of e-greetings to people I knew. However, I sent via my daretobeangel email addy so only the few who know about this site know it was me that sent it. Most likely many people thought it was some sort of email spam. I don’t know how many of the greetings I sent were even opened. But hopefully some were, and hopefully some got a smile or a smirk out of the greeting.

PS………. Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving, egreetings, smile, cheer

Put a quarter in a parking meter that has expired

It was a gorgeous day out today, so I couldn’t help taking advantage of the situation and picking to pop quarters in the meters. I was wondering if I would be able to find expired parking meters. I learned that is not an issue. I took a stroll with some change in my pocket, and each time I came across a meter with the red expired poking out.. in went a quarter. I felt like a child putting change in all the gumball machines walking out of the grocery store. Did this do anything major for anyone? Probably not, but just the thought that maybe a quarter helped prevent someone from getting a costly parking ticket was satisfaction in itself.

I also sent a card out today. I recently added a link to a wonderful organization I found online. It is “Make A Child Smile”. Each month they feature different children who are enduring medical conditions. They tell a bit about the child and what they are going through, they also offer an address at which you can send the child a card, a letter, a gift, or such. I remember as a child how excited I was whenever anything came in the mail which had my name on it. These children are going through so much, I imagine receiving letters from people all over the country and world must be a little sunshine for them. So yes, at lunch I also dropped a card in the mail for a little girl in Texas.

Technorati Tags: make a child smile, parking meters, giving, random acts of kindness, charity

At post office leave some extra stamps at the stamp machine.

Of the options today I selected to leave some stamps at the post office. I was going to select to send a card, however I didn’t have my address book on hand at work. I didn’t have any stamps on hand anyhow, so I figured that was a good sign that the task for the day would be completed at the post office. So I went to the post office and purchased some stamps. I bought quite a few since I have a feeling I will be using the postal service more than I have in the past.

I am still not used to this, so I patiently waited until no one was in the corridor. I pulled a card out of my wallet and pulled some stamps out of the book. I then set the card and the stamps on one of the letter scales they had there, and then went off to continue with my evening errands… but with a bit of a larger smile. I have no idea if anyone will notice them, I don’t know if anyone will notice the card. I have no certainty that in someone’s walking by they won’t simply fall to the floor and never get noticed. Yet no matter what destiny those stamps had, I hope that they may have put a smile on someone’s face. They did for me.

Todays choices were:

Donate blood, pay for someone behind me at drive through, and give up place in line at store with less items.

Well remember the bumps I said I would hit and have to adjust to as I went along? Well today was the first bump. So actually it was a good thing. I am glad I was to discover this bump early on.

When I first put together the list of tasks, I was putting down all sorts of acts of kindness that were coming to mind. What I didn’t do was revamp the list when everything evolved. Thus today I learned the result of that. I didn’t remove or change items which are situational. Thus when presented with my three options today I was faced with situational without the situations. I could donate blood, offer someone with less items my space in line at the store, or pay for someone behind me in the drive through.

Well I couldn’t donate blood. I donate through work, and they have a regular schedule for donating, and oops wasn’t today, so scratch that. I needed to go shopping for some things, so I thought maybe there was hope. But wouldn’t it figure that probably the only time I have been in Walmart without a line was today! And I wasn’t going to wait around until a person with one item showed up just to give a space up to fill my task. That isn’t what this is about, so I just trecked on.

There still was hope though. I made a commitment and I was determined to keep to my goal. I knew this indicated some changes I would have to make in everything, but I was going to ensure I didn’t mess up on my second day.

I rarely go out for fast food (I am a frozen dinner person more myself), but after the treck to Walmart needing to fulfill the task gave me a great excuse to slack a little on the microwave and get a quick bite. I therefore drove up to my local McD’s. Now this time I have to admit I stalled. I was slow in my order taking, because I wanted to ensure there was a car behind me. I didn’t pay for the people behind me’s full meal, I am not that rich at this point in my life, and it was a full carload. What I did do, was when I paid for what I ordered, I told the girl at the window to put the change towards the people behind me’s bill (it was a couple of bucks). I also gave her one of the cards I printed saying… that it was a not so random random act of kindness. The girl at the window got such a kick out of it. She couldn’t stop saying how that was so “awesome”. It really excited her because I had made her part of it. I drove off with my meal, content, and eager to eat my fries!

This did teach me a lesson, and tonight I am going to go through the list. The tasks all need to be things which aren’t dependant on circumstance. They all need to be proactive tasks which anyone can just go out and do. I will keep the other items, just I am going to have to make a separate page with a list of kind acts which are also great to do when the opportunity presents, or are great acts of kindness, just not best for the daily task list. I don’t want to make the items on the list too easy so that it will become trivial and meaningless, however, I don’t want it to be self defeating either.

So yes I made it through my second task!

PS… the choices for the rest of the day will not match the original choices for today since I edited the list after completing the task … but will be back to synching up tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving, helping others

Send a card to a friend or relative you haven’t seen for some time. Include a photo of yourself and/or your family.

Well for my first task, I chose the above. For one, I didn’t anticipate a trip to grocery store, and I also (at least thus far) haven’t run into anyone that has lost anything. Perhaps I should re-think those two tasks.

Anyhow, I decided to write a note. It wasn’t difficult deciding who to write to. I selected my Grandmother. She has gone through some recent loss (her sister passed away). She has always been a wonderful person in my life. She is a very tiny and nowadays delicate woman, yet she has always been a tower of strength for her family as well. An amazing woman.

I will not be able to see her over the upcoming spring holidays as my children will, because I cannot get the time off from work. So picking her to send a note with a friendly hello and I am thinking of you… Very easy choice…and very glad I sent it. I will be honest, with this technology age we are in, I don’t write letters or notes nearly enough.

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving, helping others

Well tomorrow I will start. Like anything new there is a little nervous aprehension involved as well as excitement. I decided to print up a sheet of cards saying “This has been a… Not So Random, Random Act of Kindness” with “Consider passing it forward” at the bottom. I will attach one with any of the tasks which involve sending or leaving something annonymously so that

1. It may help inspire
2. Someone won’t think I sent to wrong addy or left something by mistake
3. Because I had fun making the cards

I have also since begining this project been trying to learn more about local and national charitable institutions. I particularly have been trying to find ones which are for people like me who really don’t have lots of money to contribute but would like to find other ways to give.

One I found and really like is Stand Up For Kids. It is an organization which helps runaway kids who are living on the streets. They have local groups throughout the country. Luckily for me, they have a local group here. They have many volunteer positions, and they also have a wish list for donations. You can make sewing kits, care kits, first aid kits, donate clothes. All sorts of things. One doesn’t have to have lots of money to give. Even little things count.

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving, children, helping others

Well I made an executive decision. I am too excited to get moving on this endevour, that I am going to start it on Monday. Thus as of Monday my commitment begins.

I had originally wanted to wait until I had my website just the way I wanted. However, I know I will be endlessly tweaking it and expanding on the informative areas as I learn more. Every time I turn around I get another idea….with me that could go on forever, and this would never start. That would defeat everything.

As it is, I am sure I will hit some obstacles that I hadn’t anticipated, but I will address those as I run into them.

So yes, the official start is……….MONDAY!

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, helping others, reaching out

Well slowly and surely the site is moving forward. I definitely am not a professional web designer or graphic designer. This has been quite a learning process for me. Trying to get the site working on different browsers.. WHEW what a mess! I have images not showing here or there. I hope visitors are understanding. I will keep learning and keep tweaking as I go. Eventually it will be together. Today I added a bit of new coloring (I am sure I will change many times ). I also started developing the queries for the link page.

Did I do anything today to possibly put a smile on someone’s face? Sure did, what I have learned thus far is how with even just building the website I am rather more alert to things around me and people around me. I (ok this may not be great….but I do smoke)……and I gave my lighter to someone who didn’t have one…….not just let them use it….but gave it to them. I also donated some toys for charitable Easter baskets. Small things, but something.

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness

I won’t get much of a chance to work on this site this weekend. I will be rollerskating with my children and doing fun activities such as that.

I have confidence that this site will be ready to start pretty soon. Can’t wait until I can figure an official start date to my year challenge. But I will note that just in the building of this project, I have noticed how I look at the world differently and have already found myself finding things I can do on a daily basis. Pretty wonderful actually.

Well I suppose I should start putting a few entries in the weblog to start ensuring I have it working as I wish. Normally this will be used to share my experiences in this journey.

But I suppose my developing this site is part of that journey. I certainly am getting closer. I now have a contact form and a join the dare form which are functional.

Right now I haven’t determined if I will have a guestbook or not. I don’t want a thrid party guestbook, because the ones I have found look like forums and have more complexities than I want. However, with all the spamming of guestbooks nowadays, unless I can figure out how to make a secure guestbook I will spend all my time deleting spam rather than working on the main purpose of this journey.

I still have to work on this blog look, I have to develop the “about” page more (may separate it into separate sections, and I need to start developing the links page. When I first started this I didn’t realize how much I was taking on website wise. It sure is getting me up on my web skills.