After a book of 100 life philosophy and mantra quotes I had written for myself over the years just last year, I’ve been writing more for my next book. What I thought was going to be a dangerous Confucius in my old age, armed with life philosophies, is ultimately going to end up more than twice as bad, because I think I will be able to write far more than another 100 in the next 30 years or so! Oh, pity those who will be my friends then, and my wagging pointing fingers, LOL! This is my latest life philosophy quote and mantra for myself.
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The Power of Giving Away Lottery Tickets
My #1 life philosophy is the best thing you can give someone, including yourself, is a chance. It applies well to general opportunities in life, as in having the trust, faith, and/or confidence in someone, including oneself, to do something, with success either expected or ignored, pending the goal. The philosophy holds true for understanding that the trust, faith, confidence, love, whatever you want to interpret as being shown by the person giving the chance, are far more valuable than anything money could buy, or other qualities shown. However, I’m going to test that money theory by getting my work colleagues lottery tickets for Asian New Year on February 12 (2021).
My Lottery Opportunity Cost Doubt
Each time I to to enter a competition with a fee, I wonder if that fee couldn’t be put to better use in another “competition”, as in the lottery. That is, what might I be losing out on, or what economists call opportunity costs, in not having spent that money on lottery tickets that could really change my life if I won a jackpot or even secondary prize? After all, few competitions I enter would either change my life as much as a decent lottery prize. Nor would I have better odds of winning or placing well in those competitions, in many but not most cases, like the Boston Marathon. In some small races or other competitions, like writing, I have done well enough to merit some recognition. However, the prizes have always been essentially negligible. That is, there were some value to them, just not much value to me. Well, at least not material value. Moral value like confidence and social value like perception in the eyes of others, also known as bragging rights without the bragging, are another matter, though. Still, as “priceless” as they may be, I can’t help thinking what chances at winning a jackpot I would deprive myself of in putting money towards these competitions rather than to a lottery, for which I don’t often buy tickets. So what to do?
Good or Bad Idea, Giving Lottery Tickets to Homeless People as a Random Act of Kindness?
One of the rewirements I’m supposed to do in this Week 3 of the  Science of Well-being course I’m taking is to build connections by talking to people I don’t know (i.e. starting conversations with strangers) and doing random acts of kindness (RAKs). Now, RAKs aren’t hard to find. Most people would give you examples like buying someone this or that, likely someone you don’t know, in some situation like the person in front of you or behind you in the coffee line. Those are fine, but for someone with Signature Strength of Creativity being #1, Curiosity being #2 and Judgment (aka Analysis) being #7 of 24 Character Strengths, who believes things are more meaningful if “earned” through a little more work, this buying of generic stuff was “too easy”.
Random Acts of Kindness Challenge: A Facebook 2.0 Picture Tagging Meme
Here’s a Facebook picture tagging meme that will allow you to make a difference in the world while having fun! It’s for the real people who live life in the real world, not Facebook addicts stuck in the virtual world.
The potential of social media like Facebook and the Web 2.0 is its ability to organize people. However, there’s a lot of doubt about it because of how people use it a lot for games like traditional themed Facebook tagging memes. Nobody gets up to do anything to make difference in the world with them, and might even annoy some people.
I had tried to evolve these Facebook picture tagging memes previously with versions like Should Try and Dare to Wear, where you have to do something to fulfill them rather than just tag someone to a picture. However, this Random Acts of Kindness challenge is even better because there is a true benefit with each action taken by someone. They are also practical, costing either just a little bit of money or time. Best of all, they’ll make you feel good about yourself, and someone else feel good about life and the world!
So are you up for the challenge to tag it on and recruit your friends to make the world a better place?
Here’s how to get this graphic for your Facebook contribution to a better world:
- Click on the picture below to get it at full size.
- Right click on that picture and save to your computer.
- Upload it to your Facebook profile.
- Tag your friends!
- Click the Back button on your browser to return to this post.
Please click here for a complete list of over 100 Facebook picture tagging memes on this site with which you can use for fun with your friends.
You may wish to hand out or leave a card with your random act of kindness (click to enlage, save and print out), although it is not customary to do so.
- Cover another rider’s fare. The next time you’re on the bus, find someone who doesn’t have a pass and offer to pay so they can save their ticket or change.
- Run an errand for someone. You’ll probably need to know the person/s because there is some trust required here, but your time is more valuable than your money.
- Leave quarters at a pay phone. You can leave it on top of the phone or tape it to a RAK card.
- Make goodie basket for seniors home. Unless you know someone at the home, it’s probably best to just buy some things because for safety’s sake, they will be cautious to take gifts out of the blue from strangers. Such is the world in which we live.
- Make or buy lunch for a homeless person. If you don’t want to create expectations, you might want to do this where you don’t walk frequently.
- Plug a parking meter. If you can afford more than a few dollars, you can plug the whole block! It’s even funner if you pick a busy block and make a scene. 🙂
- Refuse to pay for a task. We all do things that people give us money for from time to time. Refuse it the next time. Or volunteer one of your professional skills.
- Leave an extra large tip. Remember, 15% is the standard tipping rate. Make it at least 25%, eh?
- Show up to volunteer at a building project. This may not be easy to find, especially if you live in cold weather during winter, but often, there are a lot of simple labour jobs anyone showing up can do. Just ask and they’ll probably let you. They may keep you safe away from the action, but if it’s menial, do you think those paid to do it enjoy it any more than you would?
- Buy someone lottery tickets. This is risky cause if they win, you could feel bad. But RAKs aren’t about that. Besides, how often do you get to look someone in the eye and say “Do you feel lucky today?”
- Pick up litter on your block. You can do this all year round, not just when tagged on Facebook, and it has real value to everyone who goes through. Better yet, organize a small group to do this regularly.
- Make baked goods for a shelter. Shelters don’t often get home made stuff, just things out of cans and so on. Baked goods would be a nice surprise treat for people if you deliver it directly, bringing ID if they don’t know you. I’ve heard baked goods are not liked by shelters because they don’t know their origins, freshness state and so on, and that’s true if they get it in a box. But if you come with a smile on your face, and ID if they want to check, I’m sure they’ll love you for it.
You can search “random acts of kindness” for other ideas, but what I found was that a lot of them were either impractical (visit a nursing home where they won’t likely let strangers in), may not satisfy someone (giving candies to kids whose Parents are trying to teach them discipline or prevent cavities), or are just expected out of good citizens (donate seat on bus to elderly).
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