Kindness is easy! - A guide to Kindness in Neopia

     Hello there, lovely Neopian! I hope you are doing well.

     Did you know that on the 17th of the Month of Awakening, there is such a thing as Random Acts of Kindness Day? Well, now you do!

     As you may know, in a world such as Neopia - and well, any other world, really! - Kindness is an important part of everyday life. It makes you, the recipient of the gift, and any other witness a little happier. It makes you smile, and even has great health benefits!

     Really, no matter who you are, you can make someone’s day a lot better, and send some good vibes into the universe! (Watch out, Dr. Sloth! ) Sometimes, all it takes is a smile.

     I know it is a little early for this article depending on when you are reading this, but I felt saddened by the way many treat each other, and I thought it was important to remind you all of Kindness. You don’t even need to do grand gestures. Even just being decent can do. And guess what, you can do that every single day! Open your mind and open your heart, my darling, for here, I present you a list of things you can do to make Neopia a better place -You might even be able to do this with others, it’s always more fun!

     -Giving to the Money Tree: I know what you might be saying; “No, d’uh!” Well that’s an easy one, but always a good one. It’s quick and effective and like I said, easy! But do you know how much junk gets under that poor Tree? Try donating something from the heart - something else than the same holey old boots, rotten driftwood and well, rotten anything. In the same effect, try and see if you have wearables you don’t want anymore, or buy some to give to the Second-Hand Shoppe. I think we can all agree that the poor Ruki who works there is also tired of smelling like Dung all the time! One other thing you can do is take some of these junk items to discard them yourself. This will give space for better donations to come through! You can be an anonymous hero for those who frequently visit those places!

     -Donating to Fundraisers: Have you ever come across a shop that said someone was trying to save up for a cure for their sick Neopet or an expensive Paint Brush or any of that? One thing you can do is buy from their Shop. Easy-peasy! If you can, try to buy the more expensive things, you’ll be sure to help a whole lot, but any amount is always good! You can also set up a trade reserved for that person to give them the necessary Neopoints! That is sure to make them smile and remember you for a long time! If you can, perhaps even buy the item for them and give it for free.

     -Welcoming Newbies: Come on, we’ve all been there. Laughing at a newbie isn’t going to help them get around. If you come across one, make sure they feel right at home, welcome them and explain the basics. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a new friend! If you see someone you would usually laugh at because they do not understand some things or you think they are being ridiculous, be patient with them. If it isn’t a comment that moved you, don’t screenshot any of their threads without their permission.

     -1 Neopoint Auctions and Sales: This is one thing I do occasionally. Have something at least a bit valuable up and put it at 1 Neopoint. It may not give you much, but I am sure someone’s day will be made!

     -Give someone an item: Preferably something they wish for, of course! But foolproof items, since you can’t always see people’s Wishlists, are usually Dubloons, Codestones or Bottled Faeries, perhaps even a scratchcard. You can do this for friends, guildmates and even strangers! For Neopoint items, you can simply open the window to the item and click on “Give to Neofriend” and type in the username of whoever you want to give the gift to! For Neocash items, you will need a Gift Box, but the process is pretty much the same. Just click on the Gift Box and select the item you want to give, you can figure out the rest!

          -Give someone advice or make a guide: Hey, it’s what I’m doing right now! Haha. Anyway. If you see someone is struggling and they want help, offer advice. But only if it is wanted. If you are good at a game or something that a lot of people have difficulty with, make a guide, like this article for example, and either send it to the NT, or keep it in your Pet’s Petpage. Surely someone will find that useful.

     -Compliments!: Everyone loves compliments. Even the most evil villain in Neopia likes compliments. You can always send someone a kind neomail about something; Their userlookup, one or all of their Pets, their shop, something that made you smile or laugh, anything that comes to mind. But you must mean it! You can also congratulate Contest Winners - you can add what you liked about their entry! - and thank people for donating so many good things to the Money Tree. All of them worked hard and deserve some kind of recognition!

     -Avatars: Some Neopians are avid Avatar collectors, but they don’t know how to obtain certain avatars. Maybe you do, and you could give them a few tips?

     -Faerie Quests: We all know what it’s like having a Faerie Quest and not being able to use the Shop Wizard. You could give them the item free of charge, or at least link them to a shop that has the item they are looking for!

     -Advertizing someone’s Shop: Why not advertize someone else’s shop on the Neoboards instead of your own? That is sure to be a nice surprise, and might help in their goals.

     -Adopt a Pet: Isn’t it sad that so many of them get abandonned? Some of them are even sick and starving! If you have a free spot, why not give a Pound Pet a new home and take good care of them? You could zap them into your or someone else’s Dream Pet!

     -Treat Your Neopets!: Your own Neopets need love too, of course! Why not buy them a yummy treat like ice cream, or give them a book they’ve been wanting to read, or even a grooming item to make them feel like royalty? Or a fancy new wearable or Paint Brush? You can also spend time with them by going to the Tyrannian Concert Hall, Pick some berries, go to Roo Island’s Merry-Go-Round, play with them to keep them happy. Kacheek Seek is a good way to do that while getting a few NPs out of it.

     -Bid on one or more Auctions: What do I mean by this? Simple. Some Auctions have no bidders. And that might make the person who held the Auction sad. So if you feel generous, perhaps be the first to bid on one or more of them. You don’t have to continue bidding after, but get it started! If you don’t like the item, you may gift it to someone you know would love it or put it under the Money Tree or donate to the Second-Hand Shoppe if it’s a wearable. There are many possibilities.

     -Draw someone’s Pet!: Do you have an artistic streak? Why not seek out a Neopet that belongs to anyone of your choice to draw and show them?

     -Be patient and calm in your interactions: This is probably one of the most important ones out of this list. No one likes a sourpuss. And it ruins everyone’s day. I know, you will have bad days, and that’s okay, but try not to take it out on anyone else. Remember that there is someone on the other side who might be going through things, and have a life of their own also. If you have a problem with someone, discuss it gently or file a ticket if it gets too bad. But always remain respectful.

     and last but not least,

     -Take care of yourself. You are important too, and besides, if you do not take care of making yourself happy, how can you expect to make others happy? Speak kindly of and to yourself, and give yourself a break if needed. Buy that Scarab, that Coin, that Shell or that Stamp you’ve been eyeing for your collection, play a few of your favorite games, relax...do your best. Doing your best is not forcing yourself to do things until you run out of energy. It’s giving yourself a chance at doing things, and making efforts, but give yourself time to rest too.

     Those are only SOME of the things you can do. There’s just so much!

     And that is all, lovelies. Wait- no. My Faerie Xweetok, WishYouLoveandHealth wants to give you a hug (See? Another act of kindness!) . Here we go.

     …

     Have you received your hug? Yes? Awesome!

     Wait- LoveWhatMatters, you too? Looks like my Elephante wants to give you a hug as well.

     ….

          Well, I hope you have a wonderful time and spread some kindness through Neopia. Who knows, mayhaps you will be able to use some of this advice in all of your areas of life?

     See you around, and May Fyora’s light guide you, always, so that Peace may live in your heart!