When it comes time to celebrate our birthdays, the focus is always on the next year of life, on our hopes and wishes for what is to come.
But as Bryan Tsiliacos turns 30, he can’t help but look back at the previous years. It was, after all, the one that transformed his life.
“You know, it’s really hard to put into words,” Tsiliacos said.
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A year ago, upon turning 29 and feeling grateful for all he had, Tsiliacos pledged to do 30 acts of kindness before turning 30.
We were the first to share his story as he completed his first act: baking, then delivering, hundreds of individual flan desserts to every firefighter working in San Jose.
It wasn’t the last time a news organization wanted to talk with Tsiliacos.
By the time Tsiliacos was working on his second act – school supply boxes for every middle school teacher in Oakland – stories about Tsiliacos were appearing all over the world. People magazine even crowned Tsiliacos one of the kindest people in America.
“I had no idea it would get this much attention, I didn’t,” Tsiliacos said. “Honestly, I wasn’t prepared for the flurry of media, magazines, talk shows, blogs, websites, you name it.”
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On the very day Tsiliacos turned 30 in late February, he was at it again. This time, Tsiliacos packed and delivered care packages to the staff at the Oakland Zoo. It was another successful mission, although the same cannot be said for Tsiliacos’ goal of 30 acts by this day.
“I’ve done 10,” Tsiliacos said.
Tsiliacos’ acts have turned out to be so big and require so much planning – not to mention the fact Tsiliacos has a full-time job – he only managed to get one-third of the way to 30.
When he looks at what he accomplished in the course of those 10 acts and the attention it received, however, Tsiliacos considers his mission already a success.
He has inspired others to follow in his kind footsteps.
“One woman messaged me saying, ‘Hey, I was making dinner and your story about giving to firefighters came on. Just so inspired to see it. I want to give back to my community,'" Tsiliacos said.
So, as Tsiliacos enters his 30s, he is giving himself the next year to complete all 30 acts. Still, he is sure even then he won’t be done.
