“Giving is the lifeblood of happy living” Todd Parish. Receiving can leave you feeling pretty good to. Let’s make it happen more often, the giving and receiving; that is basically the premise behind Mark Ricks Random Acts of Kindness®. It’s a customer incentive idea of Mark’s to encourage people to shop at specific businesses. Businesses where a Random Acts Of Kindness® can occur, possibly on a daily basis. Imagine being part of that, it would make your day. And Mark see’s RAOK® instrumental in building stronger communities. It appears to be a Win, Win, Win for the giver, receiver and the business involved. Mark has told me the biggest RAOK® to date has been $100 paid forward, the smallest 20 cents. Picture the delight a person about to buy a bubble gum from the dispenser felt to find a card to say their gum had already been paid for. “To give without reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its own” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
How does this feel good act build stronger communities though? Mark’s idea was conceived in Mount Morgan, a community doing it pretty tough for some time. Yet where one might expect ‘more take less give’, RAOK® are a daily occurrence. Teenagers forward paying cups of coffee, contributions being made towards grocery purchases; the giver feels good, the receiver and business likewise; positivity spreads, the community has new energy, the glass is now as half full not half empty. Couldn’t we all do with a shot in the arm of this? What if this movement went Central Queensland wide? This is fantastic facebook fodder. Feel good stories of CQ going viral, possibly leading to national and maybe international news coverage. Mount Morgan could be re-vitalised with tourists visiting where RAOK® began. People would make RAOK® businesses employers of choice, locals and visitors would choose to do business with them. Positivity builds confidence, confidence builds communities; and it can all start with just 20 cents being paid forward.
Mark Ricks demonstrates there’s still gold in them thar hills of Mt. Morgan. This time if Central Queensland – Australia exploits the mount’s riches we will all be stronger for it.