If I had a million dollars

Have you ever played that game before? The one where you and your friends fantasize about all the things you’d do if you were to suddenly come into major money? In recent years we’ve upped the ante to $10 million but the concept is the same and it’s always fun to see what people would do if they didn’t have to worry about money.

Let me preface this by saying I’m far from a saint, but if I didn’t have to worry about finances I would love to spend my days as a modern-day Good Samaritan. I’ve always liked the movie Pay it Forward (the concept, not so much the acting) and it’s message of doing good things for other people without the expectation of anything in return.

Looking back at times where I’ve had the opportunity to do something nice for a stranger, I’ve always left the situation feeling happier. At the risk of sounding like an idealist, wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone followed this maxim and pay it forward resulted in a neverending circle of kindness toward others?

Alright, I’ll come back to Earth now. But as I thought about this concept and the idea of having funds for random acts of kindness, I realized that I don’t really need to have $10 million. Even on a smaller scale, I could still bring a smile to someone’s face.

Which is why I created my “Random Acts of Kindness” (RAK) Fund earlier this week through ING Direct. On a weekly basis, I now have $5 automatically drafted from my checking account to this account and the money is specifically intended to be spent doing something nice for a stranger. Some initial ideas I have:

*Putting money in a stranger’s expired meter
*Buying coffee for the person behind me in line at Starbucks
*Buy an extra breakfast, lunch or dinner meal and give it to a homeless person
*Visit a retirement home with flowers
*Send a card or care package to a soldier
*Donate a gift to a child
*Give a little extra tip to a waiter/waitress/busboy etc. who seems to be having a bad day
*Compliment someone on their clothing, style, etc. (sounds easy but I so rarely talk to strangers unless I have to!)
*Give my gloves/scarf to someone who needs them more than I

Some of the challenges I anticipate:
*Paying attention to find opportunities - Like many people, I tend to keep to myself when I’m out and about and this inward focus prevents me from seeing where others’ need help.
*Getting people to accept my “gifts” - Sadly, in this day and age I think we have been taught to be suspicious of people who want to give us something for free or who go out of their way to do something kind. I’m anticipating more than one odd look…
*Making excuses for not doing RAKs and letting the money build up – To prevent this, I am requiring myself to use the money up in full each month.

So where do you come in? Feel free to share any suggestions for RAKs and don’t forget to keep me accountable! While true RAKs should be anonymous (since you’re supposed to do it purely for the joy in doing something nice) I figure this blog is anonymous and having to “report back” will ensure I keep my word. If I haven’t posted an update by January 18, 2009, send me a quick email or comment and feel free to be mean…I’ll deserve it if I haven’t blogged about it by then!

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