So often in our busy lives it can be easy to let the opportunity to do something nice for someone else slip us by. Kindness Week is a chance for us to engage in random acts of kindness for our friends, neighbours, and strangers; simple or profound, just choosing to be kind can have an exponential effect in enriching your own life and the lives of those around you every day.
Kindness Week was started by Rabbi Reuven Bulka in Ottawa two years ago as a way to re-engage the community in random acts of kindness and compassion. The vision of Kindness Week is to strengthen a culture of compassion, kindness and thoughtfulness and thereby prevail over a tendency of cynicism. The mission is simple: to celebrate the kindness that is and discover the kindness that can be
Being kind does not need to be complicated or costly - start by holding open a door at the mall or leaving your co-worker a nice note. If you are feeling particularly kind, why not volunteer for a local charity or donate blood? For other ideas and suggestions on how to be kind, visit www.kindottawa.ca.
We all have it in us. Choose to be kind Ottawa!