Goodness knows the world can use more kindness. It doesn’t take a boatload of money to offer someone a smile. Or let the person with a fussy child go ahead of you in the checkout line. Or give up your seat on a bus or subway car to someone who looks more tired than you.
Or let that person who is stuck in the parking lot, exit into your traffic lane, even if it means waiting a second time for the signal to change.
Whatever we do, we should do it with no expectation of getting something in return. I believe in the ripple effect, and the good you do for someone will be passed on. Sadly, the opposite is true, too. And we see this much too often today.
There are some fun ways to accomplish Random Acts of Kindness otherwise known as RAK. Something I’ve gotten hooked on is painting rocks to hide around the community. You might already be a part of one of the hundreds of rock painting Facebook groups.
I started a Pinterest board to collect ideas for my projects. Don’t be intimidated by some of the rocks you’ll see. You don’t need extraordinary artistic ability to paint and hide a rock. Trust me as I’m no artist! But there are some incredibly talented people who create mini-masterpieces.
How do you start?
- If you’re on Facebook, check out some of the group sites. I’ve only listed four of the dozens in the Tampa Bay area. I’ll wager there are groups in your area.
Dunedin Rocks FL Palm Harbor Rocks Oldsmar Rocks Artful Souls Rock-Florida
- YouTube has many free rock painting tutorials that guide you step-by-step.
- Get some rocks, paint and brushes. And paint! You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Get kids involved, too. They love it.
- Once your rocks are prepped and ready, find some fun places to hide them. Parks, libraries, stores, hospitals…you name it.
So, what happens if you find a painted rock?
You can keep it or rehide it. I’ve done both. If there’s a group name on the back, take a photo of the front and back then find the group online. Usually you need request to join the group before posting your photos. The creator is always “tickled” to see their rock appear as that doesn’t happen very often. Joining a group doesn’t mean you have to paint rocks, so no worries!
I was excited a couple of weeks ago when a simple little rock I painted ended up in Sweden. Now that’s pretty cool! Here’s a photo of it. Remember, I said “simple“.
You never can tell how far a smile will travel!