There’s no sugar-coating how trying these past 11 months have been. Every one of us has been impacted on a personal or professional level — or both — due to the pandemic.

Feb. 17 marks the beginning of Random Acts of Kindness Week, a worldwide movement that reminds us of the importance of being kind to others, an especially important notion in these trying times. 

As business leaders, community members and human beings, we believe there is no better time than now to embrace the concept of kindness. 

Some thoughts to consider: 

Being Kind Helps You Grow

In this day and age, it’s tempting to put ourselves first. But if we pause our natural inclinations and stretch our limits, we learn just how intrinsically rewarding it can be to go the extra mile for another human being. In countless studies, kindness and generosity have been linked to greater life satisfaction, stronger relationships, and better mental and physical health.

We should never stop working to improve ourselves. Expressing kindness, especially during difficult times, is a great strategy for personal growth.

Being Kind Helps Your Business Grow

Let’s be clear, the goal of practicing kindness should never be solely to make a sale. That being said, nothing reflects better on your business than your actions. Consumers feel deeper bonds with companies with purpose; 77 percent of people found that they feel a stronger emotional connection with purpose-driven companies. People are more likely to shop and interact with a brand that they believe cares for them and their community. 

Being Kind Makes An Organizational Impression 

It can be easy to get caught up in the daily grind of running a small business, but a thank you can go a long way — with your customers and your colleagues.

No one wants to work in a negative atmosphere, especially during a pandemic. Going the extra mile to be overly kind or caring attracts and retains top talent for your business. 

It doesn’t have to be a systemic, resource-intensive overhaul, either. Simple gestures repeated often can often be transformative. Giving a compliment, inviting your colleague for lunch, or offering congratulations are all little acts of kindness which cumulatively build a strong culture of compassion. 

Kindness Comes Back Around

It’s the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Being good to others has a way of coming back around. When the day comes and you find yourself as the one in need, wouldn’t you want others to extend that same helping hand?

The most important thing you can do in today’s world is to practice radical and sincere kindness. Never has that been clearer than during this crisis. The fact that kindness is also good for business is merely the cherry on top.

OUR CHALLENGE TO YOU

The Women in Business Committee of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce would like to issue a challenge to the Frederick County community to make radical kindness your personal mission, not just to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week, but also for the remainder of the month. As Aesop famously stated, “No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” 

Below are ideas to get you started: 

40 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

1. Donate/volunteer time to local nonprofit 
2. Buy meal/drink/etc for the person behind you in a drive-thru 
3. Leave random motivational notes on parked cars in garages and shopping centers
4. Leave body-positive notes in the pockets of jeans in the store 
5. Leave gloves, hats and socks (packaged with a note) in public spaces for people experiencing homlessness to access with an encouraging note 
6. Write a positive professional review on someone’s LinkedIn profile 
7. Send a card to someone you know 
8. Give a compliment to a stranger 
9. Leave a bigger tip than usual and write a nice note on the check 
10. Buy some fresh flowers and leave them on your neighbor’s door 
11. Buy an extra dog or cat food and drop it off at a local animal rescue organization or an animal foster home 
12. Write a positive message with a dry erase marker on the bathroom mirror for your family or co-workers 
13. Drop some coins around the playground for kids to find 
14. Send a nice text message to someone you haven’t seen in a while, letting them know you appreciate them 
15. Send a handwritten card to a friend or family member 
16. Donate flowers to a nursing home 
17. Donate old towels and blankets to an animal shelter 
18. Leave unused coupons next to their products in the grocery store 
19. Donate food to a food bank or shelter. 
20. Deliver a meal to a single mom or elderly person/couple 
21. Feed someone’s parking meter 
22. Babysit so parents can get a break 
23. Buy school supplies or books for a teacher 
24. Donate blood 
25. Clean up a mess that isn’t yours
26. Offer to help a neighbor mow their lawn, rake leaves, or shovel snow.
27. Say hello to someone you don’t know and ask how their day is going.
28. Ask a family member or friend about an important moment in their life and listen to their story
29. Pick up trash around town
30. Bake someone a cake
31. Leave quarters at the laundromat or on a snack machine
32. Wheel out your neighbor’s trash bin
33. Write a positive comment on a website or blog
34. Leave your favorite restaurant a great review.
35. Offer to help someone carry something heavy
36. Surprise someone with a coffee
37. Hide a scratch-off ticket for someone to find
38. Buy lunch for a person experiencing homelessness
39. Compliment at least three strangers
40. Hold the door for someone

Want to take it a step further?

Think of the Covid-19 pandemic as a test: Challenge yourself to practice one more act of kindness each day for the rest of 2021. Doing so not only helps you approach life with a more positive outlook but also has the power to change the Frederick community.

When you are kind to others it not only changes you, it changes the world. – Harold Kushner

Signed the Women in Business Committee Members,
Chenee Beach
ML Carroll
Carol DeLaski
Kimberly Dow
Christine Ferguson
Jennifer Gerlock
Sue Hough
Deb Neeley
Dawn Marcoux
Rachael Pashkevich, Esq
Amber Smith
Kaitlyn Walsh
Laurie Ward

Show us your good works and inspire the community! Use the hashtag #bekindfrederick 

Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.