Random Acts of Kindness Day declared in Georgia. Join the statewide movement on August 22!

Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others.

William J.H. Boetcker (1873-1962)

Gov. Nathan Deal has declared August 22, 2012 Random Acts of Kindness Day in Georgia. Every Georgian is encouraged to something kind for someone else. It doesn't have to cost any money.

Random acts of kindness is a selfless act by which a person makes a deliberate attempt to brighten another person's day by doing something thoughtful, and without expecting anything in return. Kindness is a way of showing others that they count and that even in the face of hostility and selfishness, you're making a stand for kindness.

Every weekday, you can catch 11Alive's morning crew surprising strangers with Random Acts of Kindness and later this month, they'll be taking the movement statewide.

Ready to join the movement? Here's some random acts of kindness ideas you can put into practice at home, at school, at work or in your community:

• Give someone a compliment
• Write an article that helps people
• Promote someone else idea
• Clean up graffiti
• Donate used books to a library
• Give carepacks to the homeless
• Give the elderly the gift of music
• Help someone for free
  
• Write a thank you note (via snail mail)
• Put a stickie note somewhere random that’ll make someone smile 
• Call someone you know is in a tough spot and just listen for as long as
  they’d like.
• Open a door for someone.
• Buy pet food and donate it to your local shelter
• Let someone go in line in front of you
• Mentor an At-risk Child or Teen
• Pay the Tab for the Person Behind You
• Read to a Child
• Return a Shopping Cart
• Write a Letter to Someone Who Made a Difference in Your Life
• Pick Up Trash
• Bake goodies and take them to the police station, fire station, emergency room, etc... anyone that spends their life helping others, really deserves all you can do for them.
• Donate Blood
• Donate Used Clothing
• Send a care package to a soldier
• Share Fresh Produce With Your Neighbors
• Write a Poem For Someone Special

If we find the motivation to just do one simple act, we’ll instinctively want to do more. Kindness is a good thing. We just need to remember that no act of kindness is too small. Each one makes the world a better place and makes you a lot happier. Spreading kindness is a joy and defines us human beings.