The holiday season is upon us.  Rather than adding to your wish list, or stressing over the trappings of the season; find your joy by doing random acts of kindness.

Random acts of kindness are selfless acts of kindness directed at complete strangers, with the sole intent of spreading love and kindness.  There is no better way to celebrate the joy of the holidays.

Below is a list of easy and fulfilling random acts of kindness.  Give them a try and see how they improve your holiday season.  You might just want to make them a part of your everyday life.

1. Buy a stranger’s coffee.
2. Leave some change in a vending machine, so that someone can get a free drink.
3. Take some homemade treats to nurses, firefighters, teachers, or cops in your community to thank them for all they do.
4. Leave a big tip for a waiter or waitress in need.
5. Make treats and put them in the mailbox for the mailman.  Be sure to leave them a note, so they know the treats are for them.
6. Take pet food, old blankets, and pet toys to your local shelter.
7. Take flowers to a local hospital and have a nurse give them to a patient who needs to be cheered up.
8. Donate food, books, toiletries, and warm clothing to the local homeless shelter.
9. Do chores for a friend or family member.
10. Adopt a deployed soldier and send him/her some much needed holiday cheer.  Here is the website:  http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/
11. Give someone your place in line.
12. Visit a nursing home.  Just talk to the residents, play board games with them, or get some friends together to sing Christmas carols and hand out Holiday cards.
13. Give a hot drink to a Salvation Army bell ringer.
14. Give a gift card to a stranger at the grocery store.  Any amount shows you care.
15. Take classroom supplies to a teacher or two.  If you have Dr. Morton, then you know he always needs dry erase markers.
16. Adopt an Angel from an Angel Tree.  Most of the time, these children aren’t asking for a lot.  I personally have adopted several angels over the years, and each time it cost me around $50.

Above all, this Holiday season and all year round, show kindness, compassion, and love for your fellow man.  Restore your faith in humanity by blessing strangers with random acts of kindness.