Dare #13 - Free Coffee

"A little kindness from person to person is better than a vast love for all humankind."  - RD

So this week's Deliberate Act of Kindness involves $5 and a coffee....or tea...or other hot drink. But it's not about YOU drinking it.

Such a simple idea and easy enough to both do and afford....so I hope you will have a go.


Thanks to my sister-in-law Tati, this is Dare #13 for the year.

Photo Source

Translation of the photo: "Once in Naples, in the Sanita' quarter (suburb), when someone was happy, because something had gone well, instead of paying for one coffee they payed for two and left the second coffee, the one that was already paid for, for the next client. The gesture was called "the suspended coffee". Then, once in while a poor person would appear to ask if there was a "suspended". It was a way as another to offer a coffee to humanity. ~ Luciano de Crescenzo"

I had a good friend do this a week or so ago and she simply said to the barista...."Here's money for another coffee. If you see someone who looks like they need it, can you please give them a freebie?" Easy!

I know there are others already on board with this idea...check out: Suspended Coffee Australia

So this week....get out, head to a cafe/coffee shop (have a cuppa yourself, or not) and then leave a gift of suspended coffee behind. It may not go to someone homeless but it will surely be a blessing for the one who does receive it.

Blessings -
Kirsty

Dare #12 - The Freebie DRAKS

"Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your modus operandi and change your world."  - Annie Lennox

Well here we go into the 3rd week of Deliberate Acts of Kindness. Hopefully your awareness of deliberately acting in a kind way has increased and more than that, you are seizing opportunities to be kind...to all sorts of people in all sorts of ways.

Last week's book dares may have been a little challenging...how did you go? I loaned a book or 2. Have a small pile of picture books to donate early this week. And left a book of inspiring photos and quotes on a bench in a public place with a note to 'enjoy'.

This week let's try and do some freebie DRAKS...that is, things that don't cost a cent.

The first one....smile. LOTS and LONG and WIDELY. Smile at those you pass, those you greet, those who serve you, those you serve. Start each day this week my smiling at those in your family, no matter what time they wake you up! Smile at strangers and friends. Costs nothing in terms of your hip pocket, but might cost a bit emotionally. Still, SMILE!

Photo Source

The 2nd one....let others go first. If there is opportunity to let people go ahead of you in the grocery/library/bank line, let them. Let people merge in front of you in the car. Wait at the door for others to pass through before you do. Don't be about getting somewhere first, put yourself 2nd this week.

Number 3....send a free e-card to someone this week. I like to use dayspring.com. There are friendship, encouragement, get well, missing you, birthday, back to school, love and romance, praying for you cards and more to choose from. If you are getting really good at this DRAK thing, then send one a day for the next week....to different people or the same lucky person :)

And finally, a 4th bonus dare....visit this article 10 Free RAKS You Can Do Online. Read it and choose to do 1, 2, 6, 10 of the things Angela suggests.

Hop to it friends! There are people waiting for us to do DRAKs for them, whether they know it or not. And in the process, may a little bit of the love and joy and kindness you are sharing spill over onto you!

Blessings,
Kirsty

Dare #11 - Book DRAKs

Our month of Deliberate Random Acts of Kindness continues. Are you in?? How did you go completing one of last week's 3 challenges?

I baked and shared the spoils. And printed little inspirational quotes and left them in random places in the grocery store, at church, in the library and in public restrooms. Not sure I consciously did an act of service, but I guess a wife and Mum's life involves doing lots of Acts of Service each day.

This week I am suggesting three more DRAKs and you are free to join in by completing one or more or coming up with your own. But please, do comment on the blog or the Facebook page I Dare You if you do something. Feel free to add a photo or quote to inspire us too:)

All the DRAKS revolve around books this week....why you may ask? No other reason except that I love them and I think they can be a great gift to give. So here goes....

1. Donate a book.....buy a new one that inspires and give it to the local library or local school. You could even donate it to a particular classroom teacher. Or go through your collection and make a donation of some of yours to a retirement home or homeless shelter or women's hostel or...

2. Join (for free) and have a go at giving books online. This great organisation let's you read kid's books online and then choose a charity to help donate real books to kids in need all around the world.

3. Loan a book....find one that has helped or encouraged you and loan it to a friend - without expecting it back.

4. And for those into the truly random, here's a bonus dare of leaving a book in a public place with a note to the 'finder' to read and enjoy and then pass on. I am going to try this with a book of beautiful photos and inspirational quotes.

So there you have it...4 DBRAKs (Deliberate Book Random Acts of Kindness). Happy sharing!

Dare #10 - RAKs

A lovely friend did a DRAK for me last week. She made and delivered me a meal...mains and a dessert. She said she wanted to give my 'pregnant self' a break. So kind and thoughtful. And so yummy! And so nice having a meal that I didn't have to plan and cook...I could just heat and enjoy!

Random Acts of Kindness have been requested by a few different people as dares on this page. So....I am listening!

April is going to be RAK month, but even more than that, we are going to be incorporating DELIBERATE RAKs.

Often the opportunity to do a RAK for someone rears its beautiful head and we can spontaneously show thoughtfulness and kindness. But I would like to encourage everyone to plan and carry out at least one RAK each week in April. No, I dare you to do a deliberate RAK each week in April...that's 4, maybe 5. I think you can handle it.

I will be suggesting 3 DRAKs each week for you...some 'borrowed' and some original, if I can stretch my brain that far. I dare you to accept at least one of the dares each week, as well as trying to come up with and carry out your own RAKs. Would love to hear what you choose and do....so leave a note on the blog or our FB page 'I Dare You' and no! I won't think you are blowing your own trumpet.

I found a great website http://www.randomactsofkindness.org that lists a mega number of RAK possibilities so for extra reading, I dare you to check it out sometime this week.

Let's get this show on the road....
Suggestions for DRAKs for week 1 of April:

1. It's a holiday today, so spend some of your free time in the kitchen. Bake some cupcakes or biscuits or something else yummy and then deliver them tomorrow to someone as a DRAK. Maybe share around at work, or school. Maybe give to a charity or service you appreciate. Maybe pass on to friends in need of a little cheering up.

2. Costing even less than a batch of biscuits, have a go at Random Acts of 'Love Notes'...see this page for more. You can go the whole hog and link into their social media or just do it....and post a picture on I Dare You on Facebook.

3. Do an act of service for someone this week....at home, work, school, a club, at the shops.... Ideas might include: return their trolley, clean the toilets, clean up the lunch room, carry the teacher's bag/box, tackle someone else's chores.... Feel free to make more suggestions.

Okay so away you go...start on April 1 and go for it this month - I dare you!

"We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness."  - Charlie Chaplin

Blessings -
Kirsty