This blog is over.

I am incapable of kindness. I bring only pain.

Day 10: Stay after school with someone

If your friend is not getting picked up for ages, just stay with them. Keep them safe.

Maybe you owe them that much.

Regards,

365daysofkind

Day 9: Take your sibling out

Siblings are prone to arguing, and let's not forget, that we're often harsher to them than we are to anyone else.
My sister has been making somewhat of an effort to be nicer to me recently, and to treat me with less hatred. As a result, I asked her to go to the cinema with me and treated her to a nice afternoon out, because I know she wanted to see a movie and also, because I don't think she feels she gets out enough. It was nice spending some quality time with her, laughing at Spiderman's antics.

I'll definitely do this more, because she felt so much happier as a result.

Next time, I'll go all out.

Regards,

365daysofkind

Day 8: Give up a Saturday

Some people recoil at the idea of giving up a Saturday to over 150 children to give them a social day. But it's important that, when you're about to start Year 7, i.e. secondary school, someone quells your qualms and just gives you a chance to get to know your future class mates.
So, a bunch of us (school prefects) gave up the best part of our Saturday, despite being already exhausted from Sports Day before, to give the new Year 7s a good welcome and hopefully, help them get to know more about their new school and friends-to-be.

It was honestly much better than what I had planned (lounging around on tumblr) and was definitely worth it. I guess I've even made some new friends. They might not have enjoyed the disco as much as us sixth formers, though.

We managed to answer a lot of their fear-filled questions and some of them seemed to get on like houses on fire. I'm glad we did it and organised it ourselves, and I'm glad that they know they are welcome into our school, and that secondary school is nowhere near as scary as it's made out to be.

Lending an hand to the rest of the team was definitely worth it.

Regards,

365daysofkind

Day 7: Make someone laugh

Often, people are having a mediocre/bad day, and all they need is a laugh.
Enter, blonde wig, pink clothes, ridiculously oversized hat, and extremely short shorts.

Enter, Nicki Minaj.

Now, it could've gone downhill, but the hype was built up so that everyone WANTED this to happen. (Good thing for me, gave me encouragement!) So I dressed up, rapped, did the macarena for a mile, helped a teacher with the high jump to let the others rest, amongst other strange but wonderful things to keep the jolly spirit and create a good atmosphere.

Today, someone made my day. They told me what I secretly wanted to hear: that they saw me being the CEO of a massive company (with a six-figure salary, but that's not as important). That sentence made my day, and that person doesn't even know it.

It's literally being fun, letting your hair down, and saying kind things that can make someone's day.

And when it's your school Sports Day, cheer for everyone and anyone. A simple high-five for someone who clears the high jump can go a long way.

Regards,

365daysofkind

Day 6: Lend an hand

You have 180 girls and their parents, sometimes siblings coming into your school. They need entertaining, need to be sold to, and there are billions of other things to do and questions to answer at the same time.

So what do you do?

You muck in and help as much as you possibly can, stay longer than you need to, and do more than you need to.

Sometimes, kindness is showing you care by going the extra mile in times of need, especially when everyone's depending on you.

Regards,

365daysofkind

Day 5: Random Acts of Kindness

A person has no money and can't get lunch? Lend them money (I usually don't let people pay me back)

You have a lot of cake that you realistically aren't going to sell anyway? Give it away for free to people who WILL eat it, rather than throwing it away.

Your old Head of Year is up on stage singing even though she used to sing with a now-at-peace teacher a while ago? Scream, cheer, and clap like you've never loved anyone ever before, and just keep going until all they can hear is the sound of happiness ringing like ecstatic bells that won't cease.

Sometimes, it's the small, random acts of kindness that can make someone's day.
Sometimes, it's the small things you do that help people to remember that no, it's not all bad out there. You may not have moved the Heavens or the Earth for them, but that does not mean you were unkind. You were kind, and surely, that's what we all strive for?

Food for thought.

Regards,

365daysofkind

Day 4: Change something

Sometimes, it's easy to sit and wish things were different. It takes passion, determination and a whole lot of motivation to actually change something, and it definitely takes a lot of time.

So today, I went to see my Headmistress about the possibility of increasing our peer mentor scheme to help benefit people higher up in the school's age brackets, whether the mentors be teachers or other older pupils. I just want people to have someone to talk to.

There is nothing worse than feeling like there is no one who will listen, something I learned yesterday and countless other times when this has happened. So why not just spend a few hours of my week dedicated to making this a big cause in my school and administrating and liaising with teachers to make this a reality?
Schools have an hard time in dealing with individual pupils; there are just so many of us that it becomes impossible to do what is perhaps necessary. I know so many people who would have benefited from such a scheme greatly, and even I would, in my opinion. I've served as the unofficial agony aunt of the school for a few years, maybe it's time to find some new ones.

I know that my school will see a difference if we put our energies into making this work. So many people will benefit from this scheme, and school (and certainly our Common Room) will be a much happier place.

I will be the first to sign up to be a mentor, and heck, I'm not going to leave this school until this works.

Regards,
365daysofkind

Day 3: Being a shoulder to lean on

This was something I witnessed.
Now, I was having a very hard day, one that was harder than usual.

No one was really willing to listen to this crazy girl talking about the Big Questions or discussing her life story, even though she had been a shoulder to the congregation countless times.
It was rather upsetting to witness, and rather upsetting to be this crazy girl.

We all have our problems, yes. But that doesn't mean you cannot take ten minutes out of your life to listen to someone else. It has really taught me who my friends are.

So yesterday, a girl bumped into me in the corridor and just stood and listened. I didn't tell her the intricacies or even a summary of everything, but what I did tell her, she listened, hugged, uttered words of meaningful reassurance and considerateness.
That actually made my day bearable and I was able to continue through the rest of the day, a little less crazier than I started out. And it's funny that a teacher overheard the entire mad conversation; maybe I'll ask her about it.

So today's act of kindness is to be a shoulder to lean on. I've been one many times, but today, someone showed me a kindness that may have saved me from doing things that I would live to regret, and they have no idea as to how much I need to thank them.

Regards,
365daysofkind

Day 2: Tell someone they matter

It's hard to tell people how much they really mean to you, sometimes. But I've made my mind up to slowly tell the people in my life how I genuinely think they're really brilliant. This isn't for self-gratification, no sir, not at all. I just figured that I know that I often benefit from that positive burst of optimism when everything in my life is being hung out to dry in torrential rain, and perhaps, someone else might need it. Plus, it doesn't hurt to let people know that you care about them and they can come to you any time.
You never know when someone feels like they're going to be pushed off the edge. So, why not make use of your ability to communicate with others to spread good?

Just my two pence.

Regards,

365daysofkind

Day 1: Give up seat on train

Someone had stepped on a woman's toe, and I noticed this. I gave her my seat on the train. To be fair, this is nothing but a small act of kindness, you know.
I'm sure that one day, if I need it, someone will give me their seat.

If I see someone who needs to do their work, I'll let them sit too, because all I'm probably going to do is either read or ponder, both of which can be done standing up.

I could be all out nice and never sit on a seat, but usually, the carriage isn't very full and people don't fill the empty seats.

Sometimes it's the small things like playing peek-a-boo with a random child on the train or smiling at someone who looks like they've had a bad day that can make someone else's day a better one.

Regards,

365daysofkind

What on Earth is 365daysofkind.blogspot.uk?

Hello,

I am a girl from a town, in a county from a country, who tries to be kind but doesn't always get it right.
There is no true formula for being kind, and neither is it a prerequisite that an human should be kind, nor is it a concrete definition of a 'good human'. But I think to be human, one must be humane.

So, I am pledging for me to try and do 365 acts of kindness.

They will not always be big events like charity fundraisers, volunteering with patients, or some unimaginably selfless thing which touches thousands of people. It might just be giving up my seat on the train or comforting a lost child, perhaps joining a new cause or raising awareness, but it's something. I am not deluding myself and thinking that I am the kindest person on the planet, nor do I aim to grab the attention of many and become the kindest person alive.

I am endeavouring to do what I think is right.

And this is my definition: doing things for the greater good by social definition to the full extent of your capacity.

If you have the ability to do good in the world, why not do it?

Regards,

365daysofkind