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This is a new blog post taken from my new episode with Francesca Donlan on Sobriety Now What?podcast with Stuart Cline.

How often do you think about kindness? Not just the small courtesies—holding a door, offering a smile—but the deliberate, creative acts that ripple far beyond your own life.

Francesca Donlan, a writer and kindness advocate, decided she wouldn’t just think about it. She would live it—every day, no days off—for a year. Recently, I had the privilege of checking in with her at the six-month mark of her Year of Kindness to hear what she’s learned, how it’s changed her, and why she believes it matters more than ever.

Here are some of the most powerful takeaways from our conversation—insights and ideas you can use to bring more kindness into your own life.

1. Kindness Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect—or Convenient

Francesca set out to do something extraordinary: commit one intentional act of kindness every day and share about it publicly.

That meant she quickly discovered that real life rarely rolls out the red carpet for good deeds. There were days when she was tired, traveling, or simply didn’t have a ready opportunity. One evening, she was in Florida and hadn’t found a kindness yet—so she ended up at Walmart near midnight buying a plant pot to rescue her friend’s dying houseplant.

Was it glamorous? Not at all. But it was real. And in her words:

“Not every day offers you an opportunity. You have to look for them. And sometimes you have to create them.”

Takeaway: Kindness isn’t about perfection or performance. It’s about staying open-hearted—even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient.

2. Sharing Kindness Stories is Not Bragging—It’s Contagious

Many people hesitate to share their positive actions, worried it will sound self-congratulatory. But Francesca has learned the opposite is true:

“People are hesitant to post kindness, but when you do, you light other people’s candles. If you don’t share it, you’re dimming the light.”

She recalled posting about buying coffee for someone in a drive-thru. A man in Luxembourg read her story and paid for five strangers’ coffees the next day. Kindness went global because she dared to share.

Takeaway: Your acts of goodness can inspire more goodness. Let people know. Your story could be the spark for someone else’s change.

3. Kindness Is an Action—and It’s Healing

Francesca distinguishes between being “nice”—which can be polite but passive—and being kind, which is active.

Since starting this practice, she has felt not only emotionally uplifted but physically healthier. For the first time in years, she made it through the winter without her annual bout of bronchitis or pneumonia.

“I’m happier. I’m healthier. It feels like it’s healing me.”

Takeaway: Doing something positive every day doesn’t just help others. It strengthens your own resilience, too.

4. You Can Start Small—Really Small

If you want to try a kindness practice, you don’t need a big budget or a lot of time. Here are Francesca’s ideas for simple ways to start:

• Smile at strangers.
• Genuinely ask “How are you?” and listen.
• Drop off food to a local pantry.
• Leave a compliment card on someone’s table.
• Put a positive note inside a library book.
• Offer sincere appreciation to cashiers or service workers.

Even these tiny gestures can ripple further than you’ll ever see.

5. Be Kind to Yourself, Too

One of Francesca’s biggest lessons has been recognizing her own resistance to self-compassion. When she called her injured ankle “stupid,” a friend gently pointed out how unkind that was to the body that had carried her all her life.

Since then, she’s committed to treating herself with the same warmth and respect she offers to others:

“If you can be good to yourself, you can be better to other people.”

Takeaway: Kindness must include you. Your healing, rest, and self-talk matter.

6. Vulnerability Is Part of the Deal

Francesca admits she has felt vulnerable many times—walking up to strangers, worrying if she’d be misunderstood, or posting about her acts online. But without vulnerability, none of it would be possible.

In her words:

“I do feel vulnerable. But so far, I don’t have one negative story to tell.”

And that vulnerability has connected her to a global community of kindness advocates—people she would never have met otherwise.

7. The Ripple Effect Is Real

From a drive-thru in Rhode Island to a café in Luxembourg, Francesca’s experiences show how quickly one act can multiply. You never know whose day—or life—you might change.

“There’s so much we can do right now. Especially right now.”

Ready to Begin?

If you feel inspired to start your own kindness practice, here’s Francesca’s advice:

• Start slow.
• Look for small ways to help.
• Be willing to feel a little awkward.
• Share your stories—someone out there needs them.
• And above all, be gentle with yourself.

Join the Kindness Movement

If you’d like to follow Francesca’s journey, you can connect with her on LinkedIn (Francesca Donlan) or join her Facebook group, the $10 Kindness Club, where people share daily acts of kindness big and small.

Thanks for coming. You are going to have a wonderful day!

With kind regards,

Stuart