Report Card: #1TinyActs

Funny how things rarely turn out how you plan. Sometimes, it is the plan that turns YOU. I could say that about the #1TinyActs experiment—which I’m midway through. My original goals were (1) Do [at least] one tiny act of kindness per day through Christmas and (2) Inspire others to do the same.

I am proud to report that I’m (pretty much) on task for the daily #1TinyActs. There have been a few long days when most of my waking hours were spent on my computer. On those days, when I don’t work in some little act of kindness, I usually just double-up the next day.

I’ve personally tracked 37 #TinyActs since I began this. These include little things like saying “yes” when the pharmacy clerk asks if I want to add $1 donation to my tab for Juvenile Diabetes research ... or dropping some change in the Salvation Army red bucket. Freebie acts have included taking soup to an elderly friend or letting a few extra cars go ahead of me in traffic.

But here are the BEST things that have come from this endeavor (so far) …

1) Ripple Effect. Three of my friends have contacted me on several occasions (via FB, Email, etc.) to let me know THEY are working on their own #1TinyActs. For me, this is like Christmas … the best gift EVER! It means THEY keep this "To Do" on their radar daily and look for #1TinyActs. Globally (or community-wide, anyway) it means they are impacting other lives. And that ripple effect is what this is all about. Thanks guys!


2) Left Hand as 007: Secret Missions. I struggle with reporting these #1TinyActs because I’m a big believer in Matthew 6:3: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” It feels icky to do something even remotely kind or noble and boast about it. Kind of negates the entire effort, don’t you think? After all, the entire point of this exercise is to serve … to do something OUTSIDE myself. Most definitely NOT to promote myself. But this circles back to the idea of trying to inspire others. If we do everything in secret, how might we inspire others to dip their toes into the #1TinyActs pool? So maybe we’ll make an allowance to report through the holidays, huh?


3) Opportunity knocks. Once I opened myself up to the idea that I would need to look for 1TinyAct opportunities every day, it’s like the floodgate was opened. And it was/is WONDERFUL! Honestly, I’m amazed at how many opportunities are placed right in front of me. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t find myself stopping and thinking, “OH! This is where I’m supposed to help! Thank you, God!” Really, really cool.


4) More than I need. This endeavor has reminded me to stop feeling sorry for myself. I am infinitely blessed and, therefore, I’m obligated to help wherever and whenever I can. I can’t always give money, but I have plenty of time and compassion.

For one of my friends (who has been secretly sending me her #1TinyActs), the project has offered her the gift of self-reflection:

“The TinyActs thing is not making me do nice things, it is just reminding me that I do nice things often, but don't realize it. It is making me more aware that I do think about others more often than I realized.”

Won't you join us? We may be small, but we are mighty. #1TinyAct

1 Tiny Act

Recently, in a far away city I spent a few lonely nights in a hotel room having a sort-of midlife crisis.

I could blame it on the fact that it was just me and the cable television (enough to make anyone question life as we know it). But here is the real reason: I’m about to have another birthday and I still don’t know what I’m doing here. I go through the motions of my life but I’m not sure I’m making a difference to anyone. Do you ever feel like this? Do you ever just want to shake the “me” and tap a bigger, better “us?”

I want to make an impact, but I’m not exactly sure how to go about it. I’m not rich, so I can’t donate lots of money to charity. Starting an orphanage in some remote corner of the world doesn’t really seem practical for me. Honestly, I even feel time-starved most weeks.

Then I remembered a story I’d once heard about a famous American pop star who called Mother Teresa and said she wanted to come work with her in India. Mother Teresa (always the voice of reason) said this: start in your own backyard.

That’s when my idea began to grow and it went something like this: I’ll start with one tiny act of kindness, then (inspired by a friend who did this) I’ll do one tiny act for every year I’ve been alive—sort of like paying God back for all of my blessings. Hmmm. Not bad … but will my 32 (give-or-take : -) acts make an impact? Then the best thought of all occurred to me: what if I could get some help? What if WE could start a movement??! The holiday season is the PERFECT time!

So here’s the plan—which is 99 percent hope and prayer that someone … anyone … will join me:

• Over the next 30 days or so, conduct 1 Tiny Act of kindness (or more)! One per day??

• Post it on MY Facebook page with this hashtag: #1TinyAct (or email me: MarySzymko (at) Yahoo(dot)com)

You get bonus points if you …

• Post it on YOUR Facebook page, your Twitter or Pinterest account with this hashtag: #1TinyAct

• SHARE a link to this blog post (to inspire others)!

That’s it. I’ll keep track of our efforts, sharing your ideas and our progress here in this blog.

And, by all means, please share some of your ideas for these Tiny Acts. Maybe you’ll turn a stranger’s day around simply by buying them a coffee. Compliment a co-worker. Read to a little one for 20 minutes. Donate newspapers or cat food to a local animal shelter. Visit a shut-in or call an elderly neighbor. Take your child’s scout group (and some cookies) to a local nursing home.

Mother Teresa had it right when she said, “We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.”

Help me spread the love?