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New dad committed to acts of kindness

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Ryan Garcia (right) with his wife, Lindsey, and baby daughter, Isla Quinn.

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By Daryn Kagan, Contributing Writer 1:07 PM Saturday, February 4, 2012

About five months ago, Ryan Garcia’s world changed forever.

He and his wife, Lindsey, became first-time parents to Isla Quinn.

“She’s gorgeous!” he gushed to me the other day.

So what’s the big deal, you might ask? Millions of men become fathers every year. Ah, but this new dad has let the love for his daughter inspire a revolution. A kindness revolution.

“I was sitting on my couch at the end of the year,” he remembers, “thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Should I try to lose weight? Do something else predictable?”

He looked over at his sweet baby girl and inspiration hit him. “I decided I wanted to do something that would inspire her in the future. I wanted to be a better person.”

That’s how 2012 became his year of random acts of kindness. Each day for this calendar year, he’s committed to doing something nice for someone else. Sometimes, it’s for people he knows.

“I tracked down my sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Plecas,” he said, “and wrote him a letter thanking him for being my favorite teacher ever. He had a way of making learning fun. I’ll never forget him, and he needed to know that.”

Ryan has also sent a letter to a family who lost their son while he was serving in Afghanistan. “I wanted to send my condolences and thank them for everything their family has sacrificed, he explained.

There have been funny days, too. Like the time he made a point to compliment 25 total strangers. That was as great as the day he stood on the corner and offered free hugs.

If it sounds like quite the journey, it is. Ryan is sharing his kind acts with the world on this blog, 366randomacts.org (online at 366randomacts.org). He invites you to follow along. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter. In fact, for every “like” and “follower” he gets, he’s donating a dime to charity.

This giving thing has a way of growing. Ryan figures it’s the least he can do. “I never meant to do any of this for me,” he says. “I just can’t believe how much I’m getting out of it. The little bit of kindness I put out seems to multiply the way it comes back to me.”

“And what about Baby Isla?” I ask. “She’s too young to appreciate her dad doing any of this.”

“That’s the main reason I’m doing the blog,” he says. “When she’s old enough, she’ll see all the stories, photos and videos. She’ll see how she inspired one man to become a better person.”

This kindness streak is such a fun ride, Ryan is suggesting you try it out for yourself.

“You know what people will say to that,” I offer, “it’s nice for this guy, but I’m way too busy to fit all this in.”

“No one is busier than I am,” he counters. “I’ve got a newborn, a demanding full-time job, groups I belong to, and I work out. I’ve found out that being nice doesn’t take extra time.”

So are you in? If your ride is anything like Ryan’s, sounds like putting a little kindness out there will take you places you never imagined.

Daryn Kagan is the creator of DarynKagan.com. She is the author of “What’s Possible! 50 True Stories of People Who Dared To Dream They Could Make a Difference.”

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