And it gets harder...

One of the basic rules in my world has always been, treat others as you would like to be treated! I find it so very strange when others expect you to do things for them yet when the tables are turned they are not willing to be so open and find it strange when they are asked or i expect the same in return.

I am not saying that we shouldnt still behave as though you would want to be treated... but this last few months when sharing kindness around... i have struggled with a few situations that maybe you can help me with.

Firstly, What do you do when someone sneezes on a train and you say "bless you" and that someone yells at you because that isnt it their belief system? For me it was a kindness... for him it was a curse. Not quite what my intention was... but does that make it a kindness?... if someone takes offence to what you are going for them... even something as simple as saying "bless you" to a stranger?

Finally, Stubborn People: Its a problem i face with almost everyone. (lol. My mother would say the same about me though! :) You try and lend a hand (also rack up a kindness) but they are determined to do it themselves even if it looks like it will kill them? Can you insist of being stubborn yourself? take over? do what needs to be done... and still call it a kindness to that person?

Kindness, i thought would be easy to do ... one everyday... i thought it would be fun to accomplish. I mean I could claim that it would be a selfish venture in so much as i want others to be kind to me... and kind to their community... but my whole purpose for this particular project was to inspire, be selfless and have fun. But i do struggle!

I particularly struggle when it comes to the point when im sick and im grumpy (PMS or PMT... someone suggested was the worst)... but i still have been endevouring to do something for someone else! Send a text message to someone who needs love sent to them in a tough time... and this also means i dont have to get out of bed (when the world feels like its going to spin really fast when i try to sit up)... When sick i also help those closest to me when i dont have the energy to face the rest of the world... Even though i am struggling, i am still persisting and i think that was the most important point in the whole thing! :)

So i know that this is not the most positive blog post that i have ever made... but i think through it you may understand me better... and understand what it has been like... struggling to keep my word and do what i said i would do for the betterment of the world. After all... i want to be treated as i treat other people, and that is with kindness, generosity and love... even on a tough day! :)

Signing out...
Daena

January 1 - 2011 - Day One of 365 days of kindness

Why is it always after you post something... you realise how scruffy your handwriting is?! lol!
I always find for me... that hand written things are far more personal than the typed word! :) So here is my 1st days good deed / kindness! Hope this helps to give you inspiration in your endevors!

How hard is it to do a kind deed a day...

Well so far i have been excellent in recording my kindness a day... but not so good in doing any blog updates! Im terrible at doing this... particularly when i have weeks when i dont want to be on the computer... but experiencing real life... or i get so hooked in real life... i forget my virtual responsibilities!

So i have the first week of kindnesses done all-nice-like in the scrapbooking style...so i can just slot in the info and be ready to go... but i keep meaning to post them on here. I am trying to keep this as annonymous as possible for my friends as well as for everyone who ever comes to read this! :) Random acts of kindness... can be in the choice of random people to be kind to, or something that appears a little random to you. Doing something you wouldnt normally do for someone you  know and love is just as acceptable as a RAK!

FOR those who read, and know me, im keeping names confidencial... yet you'll know if you have been "kindness-ed" (i know its not a word... but it is now)! :)

I have been finding it really hard to go out of my way to do a kind deed for those around me... even though i have succeeded in doing it! :)

As i was thinking about this i was weighing the merits of Random Acts of Kindness with just being Kind to those around you. There are things you do in everyday life that you would never have thought of as RAK that are still kindnesses! Yet most of the time you dont appear to think of them that way! So, if you do something regularly that is a kindness... thats ok to do too. I mean everything for the greater cause! Kindness is essential in promoting a better life for all!

Anyways, that is enough of me having my say for now... hoping to get the list started for my Kindness Calendar! :)

Camp with teenagers!

Hi everyone,
Well sorry i havent had much of a chance to update everyone on how my 365days of kindness has been going! i have just spent the last week away with a bunch of teenagers for a Youth Camp run by the Salvation Army (SAYC)! It was pretty awesome! and i had around 3 hours worth of sleep per night! So pretty exhausted! But it was amazing to see some of these kids transformed by the loving environment they were in! Awesome!

You would think that going away on this camp for a week was my kindness for that whole week - after all i was a volunteer and didnt have to be there! But i made an effort everyday to do some kind of kindness for those on the camp! It was a lot of fun but physically, mentally and emotionally draining!

Anyways,
Im still learning how to do this blog thing! So i hope to upload the scans of my handwritten account of my 365 days of kindness. If anyone wants to help me out... let me know how i can do it! that would be awesome!

Hope your new year is still going really well!

365 Days of Kindness... the Beggining!

This is the start of a new project for me. I started Project 25: Random Acts of Kindness 2 years ago, and i wanted to show my level of commitment to doing kind acts for others.

So pretty much it involves me doing a kind act every day for a whole year. Not only will this make Project 25 a little more boosted... as there will be at least 365 kindnesses done... but i also hope it will encourage others to do something kind for those around them!

For those that are new to Project 25 please let me explain just a little...

In 2009 -  I created this as the Project 25 brief...

Hi there, my name is Daena Guest.

I've created a global project that I’m hoping will inspire some positive change in the world.

I’m calling this Project 25.

 All I’m asking you to do is perform ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS and then write a brief report about it and send it to act_positive@hotmail.com. This is an email address I have created so that I can keep a record of all the wonderful things that have been done.

Eventually I will create a web page with the short reports of things that people from all over the world have done randomly and with kindness. The website will contain the Acts of Kindness listing only your initials, geographical location and contents of the report; to maintain privacy.

Slowly and positively we will bring more Kindness into the world.

This is a project that I hope to inspire YOU with. I would love to have ONE THOUSAND random acts of kindness in ONE YEARS time (25 June 2010), by people all over the world.

In a time when we are constantly bombarded with the hardness in our world, its trouble and strife, I want to remind you and everyone that there is goodness and kindness out there. Everyone can make a difference. We can change the world one kindness at a time.

Over the last few years I have taken pride and pleasure in being able to help others in small ways (or even big ways). And not only have I enjoyed the experience the person receiving the kindness is very happy about receiving it!

Sometimes I have found that when I did this anonymously or without knowing the person benefitting from my gift, I was able to grow myself, as I was not expecting anything from them in return.

But this project is not limited to just anonymous random acts of kindness... its just limited by your imagination and willingness to be kind to others.

Here are a few ideas for Random Acts of Kindness:

~Help someone out at the supermarket check out.

~Buy a needy person a meal.

~Returning money that has fallen out of someone’s pocket.

~Help buy a toy for someone’s child at Christmas time -

(The supermarkets stores usually do children appeals that are great to support).

~Buy or make Blankets for women’s refuges/homeless people/People in need.

~Be polite to someone while driving on the road - Courtesy is always appreciated.

Not all of these things cost money, and I’m sure that you can think of a million more things that would be able to help someone out.

All these things make a difference.

I look forward to hearing about your random acts of Kindness!

Daena Guest

(Project 25 creater)

So when we completed the first year of Project 25 there were a few things that i wanted to change... i thought that it would be great to change it to a calendar year... instead of the Australian Financial Year Calendar. I thought that i wanted people to know that it wasnt just everyone else that was trying to make the difference...

I really hope to inspire people to make a difference. And to encourage everyone to write down their kindnesses and send them to the project 25 email address and then i can post them either here... or eventually on a website! I've been hoping to get all of these good deeds put up (annonymously - from the author) so everyone can see that there is good things happening in the world.

Anyway,
so like i was saying before i got easily distracted...by Project 25... of course!... I have already started doing my 365 days of kindness. Its only the 4th of January... and as the day isnt over yet...so im still looking for the opportunity to do something for someone else today.

But i already have the 1st -3rd covered with kindness!

Im just an ordinary person, trying to do something a little different. I'll do my best to keep with this... Hopefully this will inspire you as well as me!

Goodluck with everything in your life...