My Life Essay

Good morning to the honourable judges, wise time-keepers and contestants. First of all, I need you to relax, and reflect on what you have done the past months. Did any of your activity involve a random act of kindness? Like rescuing an injured cat, helping the homeless or even helping a stranger with his/her work. Yes, I’m going to talk on random act of kindness. We are living at a period of time in which where ever we look, people are always rushing in the hustle and bustle of city life to complete their daily chores. For some it maybe getting to work on time, preparing breakfast for the whole family or completing their homework. Inspite of all this hustle, we should spend a few seconds to observe around us, we could make a difference in a person’s life. Ladies and gentleman, observe around you, have you ever noticed the homeless children or animals around you? I agree time is gold but can’t you spare some time and approach them with a broad smile on your face. A simple smile is a universal language of friendliness and kindness. You can offer to buy them a drink, or provide shelter for them. According to Scott Adams, an Amerian cartoonist, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. As I was browsing through the Internet, I read upon a few stories and there is one in particular which I would like to share with you . A man named Jay and his wife were in Mexico on a holiday.As they walked into a McDonald’s restaurant, they saw a woman begging at the door and she had with her a young boy who was about 3 years old and about 2 feet tall, very fine built with short black hair. His face looked dirty, not so much in an unkempt way, but more like a young boy who had been left to his own devices and his smile shone like none other they have ever seen. The more they watched him the more they were drawn to him. He was playing with a stick at the front step, and as people left McDonalds, he would flash a mischievous smile and hold his hand out for a Peso. You could tell he did not care if he got one or not, he was just trying to help his mum out who was doing the real begging. They became enraptured watching him.They wanted to give him a gift. lt was then that it occurred to them that McDonalds always has toys for kids! So they went and got him a McHappy meal. They handed to him the bag of food and the toys which he did not imagine he would ever have. He was so thrilled. He grabbed the bag and ran across the step to his mother, â€Å"Mama, Mama, Mama.† As they left McDonalds, tucked into the corner of the step with his mother beside him, was the beaming little boy with a pop between his legs, fries hanging out of his mouth and his new plastic treasure clamped in his left hand. With his right hand he waved furiously at them and then in perfect English said, â€Å"Thank you very much!†. This story is a clear example of how a random act of kindness can touch someone’s heart. Aesop quoted that â€Å" No act of kindness no matter how small is wasted†. So if you think doing a simple kind deed is nothing, think again because for the person who gained from you random act of kindness, is indeed truly grateful. There is also the strange phenomenon where a dog helped a kitten that fell into a small drain. The kitten was all wet, shivering and giving out sounds in agony. The dog picked the kitten up with its mouth and dragged it towards the sidepath. Then, it licked the kitten’s body a few times with its tounge to dry him and ran away. So, you see ladies and gentleman, even a dog knows how to be kind. Recently, I witnessed an incident where 7 stray dogs were trying to cross a fully packed road. At that moment, a man driving an old sedan switched on his hazard lights and stopped in the middle of the road in a way blocking traffic going both ways. The dogs then quickly crossed the road while wagging their tails. The man then went on as though nothing had happened. I was awestruck. If everyone were like him, the world would be a better place to live in. Besides, there is a lot of things that you can do which is categorised as random act of kindness. Like, sharing your lunch with the needy, stopping for a pedestrian to cross the street or doing chores at home that you normally don’t do. Think of your mum’s reaction when she finds out that you have done some chores. How surprised she will be! This is the least we can spontaneously do for someone who we love and cherish a lot. We obviously don’t know how long we would live. So why not, make a difference in someone’s life while we can. So from now on, when we look at someone, a beggar, a child, stray animals, let’s try to do something that will truly make them happy. The smile that we receive in return of the kind deed is priceless. Trust me! The moment you see the smile, you will truly know that it is worth it. In one of Kahlil Gibran’s quotes, a Lebanese born American philosopher had said that â€Å" Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution†. Do you know that, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is an organization set up to encourage people to carry out good deeds. People all over the world are experiencing the pleasure of having kind deeds done for them and they in turn reciprocate. These are countless ways for people to show acts of kindness. So, whether you buy a drink for the road sweeper, give a bowl of water to a stray dog, provide a shelter to a cat, or even as simple as helping your teacher to carry their stuffs to the staffroom, it is all categorised as random act of kindness. According to Charlie Chaplin â€Å" we think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness†. I truly hope that I have inspired each and every one of you to conduct a random act of kindness. Fit this into your busy daily routine and let’s contribute to building a better society. Thank you.