2k14: k4k Retrospections

Exactly one year ago on this day, this project was merely an idea in my head. I’m proud to say today that fifty two weeks, ergo, fifty two random acts of kindness (and unlimited amounts of good vibes) later, I have reached my goal. Here are my thoughts on the experience.

I started the Kindness for Karma year-long project for many reasons. The first and main one was of course to accomplish the actual acts in order to bring a little extra joy in some people’s lives. Seeing the reactions of my “victims” were always fun and encouraging, but I also liked the element of surprise behind it, which is why most of them were done anonymously. To receive something unexpectedly usually has more value or a very different kind of impact as when it is expected. It makes me happy to think that I was able to contribute to that effect, even in the simplest ways. 

The Pay It Forward ripple effect was the project’s by-product, which was also something I was very interested to see unfold. I have come across some amazing people who have been not only saying that it had brought positivity in their lives, but also just plain awareness. Then I have had people who have been thoroughly inspired and have voluntarily jumped knee-deep into it with me. For this, I have a couple of special thanks to give. One goes out to Maxime Nicholas, who, for the last eight weeks, has been also doing one act of kindness per week and posted everything on Instagram and Facebook to share with her friends and family. Another special person who has been extremely involved is my friend Véronique Sylvain. She has been suggesting ideas since day 1 and I have her to thank for continuously motivating me. Marianne Denis, Sébastien St-Amour, Ashly Dick and the kind folks in my building are also amongst the other people who have actively helped me complete my project. Thank you as well to everyone else who’s been supportive, with my mom being my number one supporter and friend.

“Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.”
- Eric Hoffer 

On a personal level, I wanted to see how the project would affect me and me in relation to the world. Sure enough, within the first couple of weeks, I started to see a transformation in myself. By being aware of Kindness and its effects, I felt like I was progressively becoming naturally more kind to others. I felt more relaxed, accepting and patient with my peers and most of the time, I would get those same reactions in return. I also noticed that even if I had pre-written my fifty two acts, I ditched some ideas as I found bigger and better ones as the weeks progressed by exposing myself to positive energy. This was a great growing experience and has taught me things that will probably stick with me for a long time to come.  

On a more technical side, the k4k project allowed me to get creative with my outputs and to use Social Media to my advantage, which, as a Communications Minor, was a very interesting domain to play with. I had fun with my Facebook and Instagram as I was able to share my project with my close friends and family and get instant feedback. I used Twitter to get in contact with external folks, such as Pay It Forward Saint John’s, who were the people who inspired me in the first place. I met up with one of the heads of the Organization, Nicole Paquet while she was in Ottawa on a business trip and we shared a ton of great ideas. We have been in touch throughout the whole year and they have shared my story to many, including doing an email blast to Xerox employees, a company with whom they have been working. Thanks to them, I also had the opportunity to have a Skype call with some students from River Valley Middle School, a middle school in New Brunswick who are also affiliated with PIFSJ and extremely dedicated to their initiative. Two radio interviews also came out of using these tools; one directed by a journalism student, Nicole Vair, from Fredericton University and another with Charlotte Bédard from Vague FM 88.1 in Penetanguishene. As for this blog, I found pleasure in seeing my numbers grow every week. My final statistics as of today are the following:  

Just for Fun

The top three highest page views are the following:
1. Week Nineteen: Mother’s Day Card by Mail.  
– 86 page views
2. Tie - Week Four: Wool Socks for a Homeless Person. 
– 54 page views
Tie - Week Five: Scholarship Reference Letter for a Former Katimavik Volunteer. 
– 54 page views
3. Week Eleven: Timmies Freebies for a Stranger. 
– 50 page views

To sum everything up, this past year has been a great journey which has taught me a lot about kindness, myself and even human nature. As you have guessed, yes, I will sign off with one last cheesy quote. As William John Bennett said, “A kind and compassionate act is often its own reward” and I couldn’t agree more.

Have a great 2k14.

G. 

Week Fifty Two: Leaving Christmas Goodies at a Tim Hortons and a Local Restaurant.

Well, this is it pals. My very last post. 

For my last week, I decided to fill a stocking full of candy canes, hot chocolate packages, jujubes, wafers, etc. when I was home for the holidays. I then drove out to a Tim Hortons closest to my hometown, which is in Sturgeon-Falls, to have a coffee with my brother and to leave the stocking and a card on a table. 

Instagram: @geneseguin. #k4kproject

Not long after I put it down, an employee who was washing the tables came across the stocking and thought someone had accidently forgot it behind. She brought it behind the counter and opened the unsealed envelope and read the card out loud to her coworker. The card said: “I hope you enjoy every delight in this stocking as well as every other that will present itself to you in the New Year. Happy and Safe Holidays to you and your loved ones.” They both immediately sported a sheer look of glee on their faces and they shared a laugh.  

I can’t however take the credit for this idea as it wasn’t mine. Véronique, a friend of mine who has been nothing but supportive throughout the length of this project, not only suggested doing this but also took a part in it. She bought a treat, wrote a note and left it at Brasseurs des temps, a local brewery/restaurant in Hull, for someone else to stumble upon it.
  

It’s unbelievable how incredible some people are. Thank you Véronique for being wonderful. 

Alas, this wraps up my year long project. I am very happy to say that I have successfully carried this through until the very end. It feels great to have accomplished this commitment that I took upon myself and in result, to witness the positive reactions and incredible support. I’d like to thank everyone who has commented, reached out to help, suggested or simply “liked” my posts throughout the year. This, amongst other reasons, acted as the best kind of encouragement to keep me going. So thank you all. 

To read my overall thoughts on the project, click here.

Thanks for reading, you’re all pretty darn great. 
Have a wonderful 2014.
G. 

Week Thirty Four: Helping Some Good Friends Move.

Losing yet another close friend to the city of Toronto! Danielle, an old friend of mine and ex-roommate of four years, got accepted in the Masters degree at York so her and her boyfriend Ryan are packing up their bags and moving to the big city. Danielle had asked me if I could help them out with packing up a load for their first trip and I agreed without hesitation. I know how physically taxing and stressful a move can be and so I thought I’d help them out. I know they would definitely do the same for me.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

Wishing them all the luck - I couldn’t be happier for the two!

G.  

Week Thirty Two: Writing Up an Employee Review for Excellent Customer Service.

Everyone who knows me well knows that I’ve been having the worst luck with my bike lately. As I use it for long distance commuting every day, the poor thing takes quite the beating. Getting flat tires have become a regular occurrence in my life – and of course this week, it happened on my way to work. Luckily for me, I was close enough to my workplace that I could just walk the rest of the distance and was able to get a ride home from my awesome coworker after my shift.

The next morning, I went to get the tube tire replaced. I would usually change it myself, but as I was a bit short on time, I decided to go in Kunstadt, the nearest bike store to my place in order to try to get it done for me. I told the person working there I only had 45 minutes to spare (har har, bike puns) – and he responded by saying that he could have it done in 15 minutes tops.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

Sure enough, 15 minutes later, the deed was done. As I was paying, he gave me tips and tricks as well as a free spare part that would help me put air in my tires. Before heading out the store, I asked what his name was and thanked him for all of his help.

I wrote up an Employee Review for him because it’s always great to receive positive feedback from costumers. He was great at his job and he enjoys what he does, which showed and he should be rewarded for that.

Too often do people tend to focus on the negative situations that happened with clients in a day, so I wanted to have a positive impact on his day – the same way he had one on mine.

G.

Special Skype Call with Students from New Brunswick.

Today, I had the opportunity to have a Skype call with students from River Valley Middle School, situated in Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick. I had been in contact with the folks from Pay It Forward Saint John for a while now, who are also mostly teachers, and they thought that it would be a great idea for me to have a conversation with their students. Topic: Kindness. Goal: Inspire and Encourage. I introduced myself and talked about my little project to the students and they, in return talked about all the great things that they have been up to as well. I don’t think I’ve ever met a group of kids as motivated and selfless as this bunch.

Class from River Valley Middle School, Grand Bay-Westfield, NB.

Amongst a million other things, they organized lasagna cooking sessions and brought the dishes to their local shelter and planned clothing drives and brought the piles of clothes to people in need. They also had students who took the initiative to do personal deeds. I’ll never forget the girl who decided to ask all her friends and family to give her money for her birthday instead of gifts so she could put the money towards cancer research, or the girl who coordinated a teddy bear drive and gave away all of her old bears to a children’s hospital. These stories were truly touching.

Students talking about their projects.

It was great to witness the enthusiasm that these 12 to 14 year old kids had for helping others. I also loved that the teachers found a way to incorporate kindness into their education, which also allowed them to be creative and have fun with it at the same time. I haven’t felt this inspired in a while and I have these students to thank for that.

Picture taken by @psweeze from the other side!

Let the domino effect continue!

G.

Week Sixteen: Clothing Collection from Friends for Donation Drop Off. (# 2)

To follow-up the clothing drive I did back in February, I decided to organize a second one since a lot of friends had reached out saying that they also had pieces that they wanted to give away. I’m glad to know that a total of eight people’s closets are now less packed, and that the clothes will now be put to good use by some less fortunate folks at The Ottawa Mission. A big thanks to my friend Sébastien who lent his car and chauffeur services for an afternoon to make this happen this time around. 

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

Two simple trips which helped two different parties. That’s what I call an efficient double whammy.

G.

Week Fifteen: Cleaning Leftover Dishes at Work.

It’s been a busy period for us at work. People have been stressed and taking shorter breaks. So this week, I decided to clean up some dirty dishes that were left behind in the effort of saving some people’s time and to overall make the work place a more enjoyable space to work in. It’s not much, but it was a little something that indirectly had some sort of impact in some of my colleagues’ day. For that, it was worth the two minutes of dish cleaning.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

G. 

Week Twelve: Surprise Gifting for a Friend.

Lately, I found myself being surrounded by really good friends and appreciating every moment of it. Friends who put up with your stupid and insignificant problems, your ridiculous assumptions and your never ending rants. Friends who genuinely ask you how your day went and who know exactly how you feel at all times. So when I spotted this fridge magnet that instantly made me think of one my main girls,I thought - I need to get this for her.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

The gift of great friends deserves spontaneous gifting in return sometimes. 

G.

Week Eleven: Timmies Freebies for a Stranger.

It’s that time of the year again. A time where the whole Canadian population dreads seeing the words “PLEASE PLAY AGAIN / RÉESSAYEZ SVP” after rolling the rim on a certain red cup. For some reason, the odds were in my favour this year as I already won 2 times out of 4. As much as I love free stuff (who doesn’t?), I figured someone out there might appreciate some personally handed freebies. So I decided to give it out to someone on my way to work one morning. 

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

The free coffee and donut were very well received by this elderly lady, who upon receiving these, flashed me the warmest smile that I would remember all day, and most probably will for the rest of my life. 

And this right here is the reason why I carry on with this project.

G. 

Week Ten: Kind Reflections for International Women's Day.

For week ten, I got inspired by International Women's Day, which fell on Friday March 8^th. I rummaged in my stuff for a mirror, added a couple of feel-good words and tapped it to a poll on the street.

Instagram: geneseguin. #k4kproject

Media and advertising imposes beauty standards onto women by depicting certain looks and body types. My goal was to showcase the viewer, encourage self-confidence and have people embrace their individuality. 

Even though I put this up for International Women's Day, I decided to keep it gender neutral (notice the French). I didn't wish to narrow it down to only women as I felt that everyone can appreciate a couple of encouraging words. Hope everyone had a great IWD!

G.

Introduction

What is this all about?

I have made a New Year’s Resolution for 2013. This year, I have committed myself to accomplishing one random act of kindness per week for the next 52 weeks. In other words: complete 52 gestures that will hopefully make a small impact in the lives of the people around me. A Pay It Forward kind of thing, ya dig?

I will be documenting everything on this blog every Sunday in order to make me more accountable and to motivate me to fully carry through with this commitment. I will also tweet away: @genseguin and Instagram it all for your viewing pleasure (yes, friends, I have finally given into the world of Instagram):  geneseguin. As this is also a sort of a personal, social and at some degree, a spiritual experiment, I will also try to document (whenever I can) if I feel like I am myself getting somehting in return. Just for added fun, ya know?

Not only would I ideally wish to make this a collaborative project in which some people can take part in, by either suggesting ideas or by even helping to accomplish them if they want, but I would also like to potentially create a sort of Pay It Forward snowball effect. If this motivates some people to accomplish even the littlest of things in their daily routines, like holding the door for someone, or to simply smile to a stranger, then I will have achieved my goal. So if you do end up deciding to yourself do an act of kindness, please do not hesitate to share with me and I will add it to this blog!

How Did It All Start?

While I was at the gym (on December 30^th, 2012 to be exact), I was watching CBC News when Saint John’s, NB Pay It Forward Campaign came to be the headline. I was so interested and inspired by this Campaign that I started thinking… what could I do in order to have that positive impact in some people's lives. I have always loved and have been fascinated by the Pay it Forward concept: how one simple gesture put forward by someone can mean the world for someone else and how it can potentially inspire others to do the same. I also loved the selfless and anonymous aspect of it as well – of how one can do this favour without having any expectations of having it be returned. After giving it some thought, I didn’t want to do one simple thing and call it a day. I wanted it to be bigger than that and have something constant but that was also achievable. So I decided to merge my New Year’s Resolution of being more kind to this idea and this project was the result.

Learn more about the PIF bracelets here.

I have to say that another big inspiration for this idea was Sonja Adcock’s incredible story of completing 52 marathons in 52 weeks at 52 years old in order to raise money for Ottawa’s The Snowsuit Fund. Listen to the story here at 9:15 minutes or read about it here. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Adcock when I was working as a Publicist to reach out to media to cover this amazing challenge that she put forth for herself. After hearing her talk to the media about waking up at 3:30am on every Sunday of every week to complete her runs, on days where it was snowing, raining or not, I thought this woman personifies the “if there is a will, there is a way” proverb. As a busy woman, wife and mother, she still managed to complete her goal. This meant that anyone could do it. And so I decided to do so – with my own personal touch.

Ms. Adcock completing one of her 52 marathons.

Lastly, I would be lying if I were to say that some of my motivation for this did not come from being a Project Leader for Katimavik earlier in 2012. Living in a house with 9-11 volunteers who very unselfishly gave their time to organizations in two communities across Canada over the span of six months makes you realize things. Things such as that there are some amazing people in the world, that there is a way to positively impact the people around you if you set your mind and heart to it. So yes, some of this has been inspired by my 19 volunteers who have graced my life. It was very much a two way mentorship/teaching position that I was in.  

Cupcakes that my dear Katimavikers prepared
for me on my first day. 

As this is also a sort of a social, and at some degree, a spiritual experiment, I will also try to document (whenever I can) how I feel the universe is “thanking me” in response of these random acts of kindness. Just for added fun, ya know? 

So voilà, that is my story. Here’s to a happy and prosperous 2013 for everyone!


G."I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, br wise, and that you will always be kind."- Neil Gaiman