Note: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen. Subscribe to Tiny Buddha to receive free daily or weekly emails and to learn about future giveaways!
The Winners:
“Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of love.” ~Ann Herbert
An unsolicited financial donation right when you need it. Roadside assistance from a stranger after your car breaks down. An anonymous gift when you’re struggling and in desperate need of a smile.
These are just a few random acts of kindness that can transform your day and renew your faith in people, and just a small sampling of the type of stories you’ll find in Random Acts of Kindness: Then and Now.
Twenty years back, Conari Press published the first Random Acts of Kindness book, highlighting stories of people looking out for one another in their daily lives.
As the book inspired a movement, Conari started the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, which works with schools and communities to spread kindness.
Every February for the past two decades, the foundation has spearheaded Kindness week, which runs from the 11th through the 17th.
To celebrate the week and the book’s anniversary, Conari has offered five copies of the updated book for Tiny Buddha readers.
Including the original book and new stories sourced through social media, Random Acts of Kindness: Then and Now is an inspiring, feel-good compilation that encourages a more generous, caring, compassionate world.
The Giveaway
To enter to win 1 of 5 free copies of Random Acts of Kindness: Then And Now
- Leave a comment below, sharing an act of kindness you’ve recently offered or received
- For an extra entry, tweet: RT @tinybuddha Book Giveaway – Random Acts of Kindness: Then and Now http://bit.ly/Y7Oo9p
You can enter until midnight PST on Monday, February 18th.
Learn more about Random Acts of Kindness: Then and Now on Amazon.
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.
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Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 
This is so awesome and really resonates with me. I love random acts of kindness and the stories that surround the acts are just so amazing, inspiring and uplifting. I think random acts of kindness are really like miracles because they come unexpectedly. I am especially drawn to receivers of random acts of kindness because in this day and age receiving is sometimes harder than giving.
Kind thoughts, words, and acts are my everyday intentions. Today, I listened to someone who is grieving, and he opened his heart to me.
I was at the grocery store with my four month old in a front pack and my 2.5 year old in the cart. The lady behind me helped me unload my cart onto the belt. I totally could do it myself but it really made my day when she helped me!
Just having somebody take the time out of their day to listen to me when I needed it was lovely 🙂
Offered: calm, presence and advice to someone I hardly know, but that was going through a rough time, and needed to talk.
Received: 2 umbrellas from a bus-driver on a rainy day, when I had none 🙂
My grandmother was always a kind woman. She took care of my family through very tough times and was a saving angel for her late husband and boyfriend. She loved everybody so much and was always saying positive things about people. I miss her, but she taught me to stay positive and do what makes me happy 🙂
My coworkers and I sometimes talk while we work, and it’s so easy to not really listen when we are busy. It’s so nice when I can remember to pay attention, or when they do and a maybe the next day ask about a particular situation, or realize they are going through something and maybe be a little gentler that day. It makes a big difference in how we relate to each other.
This one company that I use to work for was laying off staff.( I was with them 8 years) I was going to be one of the last people to be let go my boss told me. Rumor had that this one guy who was just a few years away from retiring was going to be next, I went to my boss and volunteered to be let go to save his job. My boss and I sat on her floor in her office for hours tossing a box of tissues back and forth to each other as I had to talk her into letting me go. She let me go.
This by far was the most rewarding act of kindness that I have done.
PS she was not to tell him I did this for him, I didn’t want him to feel bad.
Yesterday at the coop grocery where I often buy lunch I saw a friend who works as a clerk there. She drew a big smiley face on my lunch box as she weighed its contents. It made me happy all throughout lunch and even made a coworker smile. I certainly hope I passed that happiness on in some way before the day was through.
I found a note on the floor of the coffee shop recently: “Dear whoever is reading this, You are beautiful! And please remember that you are somebody’s WORLD.”
I plan to pass on the note and make others to share with strangers 🙂
I was in the market behind a young mother with a large order. Her credit card was declined so she pulled out cash. She didn’t have enough for her entire order and started looking for items to put back. I told the cashier I would cover the difference. The young woman was very appreciative and wanted my name and number so she could pay me back. I told her not necessary, just pay it forward.
bought cakes to support a charity today:)
Just today, an occasional client of mine dropped me an email about a project and then randomly told me he’d been viewing my website a few days earlier and that he thought it was really good. The unexpected compliment really boosted my confidence and made my day. In turn, I briefly shared the story on facebook, along with a link to an article that encouraged people to ‘Connect With Love’, in the hope that more people will benefit from giving and receiving random acts of kindness. 🙂
This is just beautiful, and thank you for the giveaway. I love practicing random acts of kindness and compassion, and do so daily. Today I held space and provided a listening ear to someone who is feeling overwhelmed by unexpected, major shifts in their life. I’d like to think the cup of tea helped too. 🙂
As the saying goes practice makes perfect, it should be part of our daily habits, being kind comes from love your neighbour as yourself, God bless
I travel with public transport, as i was getting of the taxi i offered an old lady to carry her bags to her next taxi. 🙂
I’ve practiced Random Acts of Kinds for years. It’s always nice to read about other’s acts.
I was in Africa and driving on the main road when i saw a lady looking very confused in the middle of the road stopping passers by. Everyone just drove on and as i was with my male friend i thought it would be safe to pull over. We did and undid the window a little she said she needed a bit of money to put petrol in her car it had run out. I gave her some money and we followed her to the petrol station to make sure she was okay. She looked very disoriented and i was worried about her. When you are in a pickle you really appreciate things like that so i say thanks to all who have helped me when i was in a pickle.
This is actually a two-in-one. I helped someone by lifting up her big water container on Thursday evening – right before Nemo hit us in CT – on to the checkout counter for scanning purposes. I put it back on her grocery cart as well after it was scanned. After that, she forgot one of her grocery bags and walked out. I had the clerk hold my bags, and ran out to the parking lot, tracked her down and handed her the bag as well. 🙂
I dropped my gloves on the train today – and some man sought me out to ask if they were mine. Always appreciated!
I secretly filled the coffee container to make it last longer before the next buy. And emptied all the recycling in the office… Held the door an extra amount of time too to let the next person through 🙂 Thanks for all the great articles!
Ahhhh…. What a beautiful random act of kindness…. I was running into a conference….feeling a bit frazzled…no time for breakfast,…just got the Valentines ready for my special needs kiddo to take to school….feeling spent and a bit overwhelmed and ….ah a friendly smile and a warm steamy cup of coffee….this simple gesture offered by the kindness of a stranger was all I needed to change the course of my morning! I paid this forward by doing the same for another at the conference!
A co-worker’s 10 year old neice was looking to buy an iPad and only had $100. I knew someone selling for $250 – and donating the money to charity – so I covered the difference (secretly). My co-worker is happy, we helped sick kids in need through charity, and his little niece is going to be thrilled 🙂
This would be a great book for a down day or to give to someone else who is need of some support. . .any ideas or thoughts to make this a better place to live is always a good thing!
When I was having a bad day at work a few weeks ago, one of my co-workers drew me a silly picture and left it on my desk to cheer me up. It’s still stuck to my computer monitor, and every time I look at it I smile. The littlest things can make big changes in someone’s attitude!
Random acts of kindness is a very simple way to pay it forward and infect the world with good things. Like paying for the coffee of someone behind you at Starbucks.
I need to commit myself to doing random acts of kindness. It needs to become habit.
I remember yesterday when I noticed an old woman carrying a lot of groceries and was having a tough time going whereever she was going. Although I was in a hurry to catch the bus..I stopped and thought that although I had my own hardships, I shouldnt forget others needs. So I went and I told her that I would like to help her by carrying her groceries to whereever she was going. She told that she was going to catch the bus so I ran to the bus and told the bus driver to wait for her and carried her grocieries and held her hand and walked to the bus stop with her. We both made it on time and the bus driver was so nice for waiting for us.
There was a guy ahead of me at the convenience store yesterday counting small change for his snacks so I bought it all for him. 🙂 I try to do random acts of kindness as often as possible!
I look forward to these posts everyday! Thank you!!
I love, love, love the site where the material is from, I have a few entries myself. It’s such a warm fuzzy feeling you get from visiting it 🙂
Every time it snows I have to shovel the bit that the plow truck leaves behind in front of my garage. There is a sweet, older lady who lives across the hall from me and I have made it a habit of shoveling her garage, too since it is right next to mine.
How to choose? I feel remarkably fortunate to say I witness random acts of kindness frequently. Let’s start with the most recent: Last week, I had to take an afternoon off work to get my clunker of a car looked at to determine whether the battery could be saved. It was a tight situation as I was losing money (taking time off) to try to “save” money (resurrect this useless battery that the sellers swore was in “great” condition!), so I returned the following day noticeably stressed. Cleaning the office the very next morning, I peaked out the back window into the parking lot only to discover my boss, heavily bundled up in the Michigan snow, bent under the hood of my car replacing my battery with his own two hands! His wife and co-owner hugged me and said it was in appreciation of all my hard work, but I truly feel nothing could quite repay that act of kindness.
I was at one of the food stalls at the airport. The young lady (well, she was younger than I am, maybe college age?) ahead of me was purchasing her food and her card wasn’t working. I told the cashier to charge both my meal and hers on my card. She was thrilled and thanked me.
Random acts of kindness aren’t only something for special occasions or after catastrophic tragedies…they are a beautiful way to live your life. There is amazing energy that is created and nurtured within ourselves when we give selflessly to others. Happy Thursday, friends!
I drive quite a lot due to the fact that I work 60 miles from where I live. I always stop to offer help if I see somebody stopped on the side of the highway. The latest instance was about a month ago when I saw three middle aged women struggling to change a flat tire. I changed the tire for them and they tried to give me $50! I’m also a graduate student so $50 can always help but I don’t believe in taking any compensation for an act of kindness and I graciously declined and explained why I could not take the money. I think next time, because this happens to me every other month or so, I’m going to ask the person to donate the money to charity or buy a stranger gas with it or something.
Being kind to all and helping out others who are down on their luck or just having a bad always make you feel good and puts a smile on our faces.
The other day I paid for a four-hour parking sticker at a meter, and only used 15 minutes. I left the sticker by the pay station, hoping that it would make someone’s day!
I work for the county hospital in HR. A young lady came in to get help doing her application and resume. I spent a couple of hours walking her through the process. Well i found out yesterday she got hired!! Talk about validating my work! She made my day and brought me jolly rancher’s! I didn’t thin she would remember i told her they were my faves!
I love this!!!!
Looks really interesting! The world needs more acts of random kindness, and this seems to be a great inspiration! <3
We were walking to the shops one day when we came across an elderly lady asking about getting the train to another town. She was asking directions, but seemed extremely confused. We walked with her down our road a bit further & asked a lady who was in her garden if she knew the elderly lady…..to cut a long story short, we managed to track down her house round the corner & it turned out that she had dementia & her husband (who was her full time carer) was ill & she had managed to get out of the house without him realising. Thank goodness we hadn’t just left her!!
I donated to an animal rescue organization for a dog that needs a live-saving operation, in honor of Valentine’s day, since I don’t have a Valentine!
I saw an article in the local paper about a local town needing donations for its food shelf so I gathered up a bag of canned goods and pasta,went through the clothes in my house,gathered the best ones that we never wear and dropped them off at the food shelf.
I love the idea of random acts of kindness. It is a gift we give to ourselves and the universe. I am a caregiver for mom with dementia. Two weekends ago I put on a Celine Dion CD and we danced. A spontaneous dance party to lift her mood!
my coworker brought me a coffee this morning as a R.A.K. Such a sweet gesture and I will be paying it forward. My tweet as well: https://twitter.com/yay_toast/status/302107476210352128
I try to do random acts of kindness frequently, and to encourage other people to do so too! I recently donated many items to a local homeless shelter.
I was in a burger joint ordering lunch. After I paid for my order, I handed the cashier a $20 bill and told her to use it to pay for the young woman who was with her son in line behind me. The young lady came to my table to thank me and proceeded to tell me how they had just come from the doctor, that her son has cancer and is preparing to start his treatments. He is 5 years old. I gave her my name and email and asked her to please keep me posted on his progress and to let me know if there was anything more I could do to help.
I gave a random person a $5 Starbucks gift card 🙂
There is a woman in a woman’s group I belong to
that has recently found herself in a women’s shelter with two children.
They have all lost everything… including clothes. She posted the need for a few
items and I got her address. I am in the process of organizing clothing in her
size, her children’s sizes, as well as sheets and blankets for their bedding. I
am also going to build a basket for her and her daughter that are filled with
soaps, sprays, barrettes, hair items, etc. Because, as a woman, she needs to
feel good about herself…as well as her children. I have obtained the address of
where is currently living, and arranged to have things delivered. A lot of
those donating are doing it anonymously. It’s not just MY random act of
kindness….
But it’s a community coming together.
I am interested in the book giveaway… but do not have a twitter account. I am going to repost on google+.