Giving update…how are you doing?
just a quick update on my giving over the last couple of days.
How is everyone doing? Are you finding joy in giving?
Day 4 for me was fun. For Christmas I received one of those “all in one office” machines (copier/scanner/fax, photos, etc.). Well already owning a printer and scanner, I thought first of E-bay (lol) then I thought what a great gift to give. I then wracked my brain over who to give it to and settled on a little elementary school close to my house. Who needs love and kindness more than our teachers and schools.
Day 5 kind of fell into my lap (or did I attract it..hmmm). At about 8:30 pm that evening the phone rings and it was The Special Olympics. Well my first thought was “whatever happened to signing up to receive no telemarketing and soliciting calls with the Feds”??? Then my partner said, hmmm..seems like a great gift opportunity to me (well you can see who is the less jaded/cynical there). LOL Funny how things always seem to work out in the end huh?
Day 6 (today)although as I type this I have not yet given the gift, (I am doing it in a matter of minutes), this idea was given to me again by my partner (hmmmm…making me look bad). A friend we work with has her elderly mother pick her up from work. Well I do go her way on my way home, it is snowing heavily outside, and our friends mother is horrified at driving in these conditions, what a great opportunity to give the gift of “peace of mind” to her mother. Once again, it’s funny how the opportunity always seems to present itself, be it big or small. I think we just need to recognize that the opportunities to give are all around us. Oh well, my friend is here so I must leave.
Be well everyone and have fun giving.
David
Related posts:
- “29 Gifts” guest author bloghello fellow givers. sorry I have been so quiet, I have been on vacation for the last week (hmmm…a gift to myself??? LOL) and I need to catch up on my notes. I did want...
- Gift Giving con’t…hello all, A quick update on my giving and I’ll have a new blog to post from author Cami Walker tomorrow. day 4: I was home all day today and while flipping through the channels...
hi… In keeping with following you, I decided to mention this project and the book to the employees who read my employee newsletter, shared my “no cost” giving projects and invited them to share theirs with me. I’m getting adorable responses (the runners who plan to donate on a per-mile basis; the folks who foster pets, plus the folks interested in joining me on mine, the cancer charity supporters, and on and on) - so you see, the ripples from this blog are spreading! Kathy
I love to give to people when I can. Sometime I end up crying when I see how happy they are that someone just gave them something. Remeber people, just giving a ride to someone is a way of doing things for others. I have a young neighbor who is not allowing anything stop her from reaching her goal of becoming a Nurse. Before I crashed my car(it was totaled) I would give her a ride where ever she wanted to go. I am still waiting for a car, banks are no lending car loans either, the car was paid off by the insurance company and when I did buy something it was a lemon I had to take it back. My young neighbor is inspirational in that one day when I was sitting at my computer, I can look right out my patio door into a beautiful field. I watch the mama birds teach their babies to fly, they are Eagles and Hawks. I saw her walking, I asked her where are you coming from, it was work. We live in Elkton,MD and there are no buses, no public transportaion. The street she has to walk on do not have sidewalks so she is taking a chance each time she did this. It was then I had offered to her that I would pick her up anytime I was available(worked until the accident in November). She is sitll going strong, she gave me the best gift for Christmas, a pair of gloves. She remembered me saying the ones I had were worn out it was during the recent snow storm and we were trying to remove snow from her moms car. I looked into the bag and under the cool night shirt was a pair of gloves. People it goes back and forth, now I know I will get a car, high rates unfortunately due to foreclosure 7yrs ago even though I paid on my car on time for 3yrs straight. Like I told my son you have to keep trying in this world, it will work its way around and work out for you. Thank for this blog because I was able to speak about a wonderful young lady who despite not having a drivers liscense she said I will find a way to school and to work as well….
Great idea! I’ve shared this with my Twitter friends so we’ll all be in the spirit of giving
I have been reading David’s “the 29 gifts” & also Julie’s blog on “eating healthier…no presevatives,real food,etc”. I have a home-based baking business, “Homemade from the Heart.” Often I have bakery that is ‘left-over’—but still as fresh as ever & I package, muffins & cookies, [using re-cycled small take home containers]and take them to an independent/assisted living facility in my town. A longtime friend’s mom lives here & she just lights up when I stop by. I never call, it’s just a random thing. Her happiness for my sweet bakery–you can’t put into words: as that ad on TV says, PRICELESS. Sometimes I am unable to stay, other times she is out–it doesn’t matter—it just gets delivered by the front desk. Nothing left on my counter goes to waste–& the enjoyment for me is ‘ten-fold.’ A gift that keeps on giving w/ no cost involved!
Hey DLL. Are you being to your partner?
That should have said “Are you being NICE to your partner?”
How lovely! Thanks for doing this and ‘putting it out there.’ I have to catch up, but I am going to do it as well. I just bought the book, but I am going to start today. It reminds me of the gratitude journal I did years ago, based on the Sarah Ban Breathnach ‘Simple Abundance.”
David (and Border’s):
Thanks for this whole inspiration. I am going to get the book and plant my own Giving Tree. AARP also has a Volunteer Thing going, and I will be showing the world and myself that I have a lot to give. Never knew my own abundance!
Things like this really lift me up after a day in the cruel world of sales. David: I want you to know that on Jan 8, 2010 you gave a stranger in Indiana something money cannot buy: Inspiration.
Thanks.
So here’s the latest from my little world… I ran a contest in my employee newsletter (one of those all I need to know from life I learned from my dog/cat/boss/spouse things) and then let the employees vote on them. We have a small recognition for the winner, but the top two were so close (one man quoted his daughter in a disaster on “HOPE”, another woman talked about learning not to sweat the small stuff from her brother dying of cancer) - that I decided there would be an additional recognition. I’m “walking for cancer” at a charity website where the foundation donates 15 cents a mile to cancer treatment. For my two winners, I’m dedicating the next 100 miles (100 each) to their daughter/brother in honor of their life lesson contribution. Oh… and one other young woman explained how her life lesson was that if someone attacked her young family when they were defenseless, she could and would defend them. With her permission, I shared the story with our safety folks, and as partial a result there is a safety training with our transit authority. A good heart rocks, folks, a good heart rocks.
What a great philosophy with which to begin the new year! A kind and generous heart can be a rare thing in our rush-rush-rush world. Thank you for reminding us to be “other-centered”. I have added it to my goals for 2010.
Thanks for all you write! Happy New Year 2010 to you, David!
Today’s “give” - after seeing the Haiti news, I’ve raided my pantry for some items for — our local food bank. In big disasters, local activities sometimes go short for a bit. So I looked for a few things I had on hand and will drop it off shortly. Once I’m done with my bills (heat bill very high this month) I’ll see what I can give to Red Cross - but in the mean time… this will do it for today.
By the way - I’ve had two tentative job offers, three suggestions on writing a book, and the option of a free trip to Hawaii show up in my life this week. I wasn’t looking for any of those.
This is one of the resolutions/goals that I have been the most successful at. When ever I am out, I am always looking for someone to assist - with doors, packages, whatever.
I made a small cash donation for food relief, but I do not have much $ to give. Wish I could do more that way.
I met someone last month who mentioned that I have a lot to give the community, so as soon as I can determine my current schedule (I just got my class syllabus last week - I need to determine when homework assignments will fall and schedule the work to complete them) then I look for some volunteer work besides what I am already doing for my 3 non-profits. I should catch up on those before I start another project LOL!
So I think I am doing well here - just not so well on the diet and exercise.
I had thought about doing this and started before I realized! Donations to the Goodwill, flowers sent to a newfound friend who just lost her mom, birthday card/gift to a niece, treating my grown son to lunch…it’s been the easiest and most rewarding resolution I have ever made. When my husband’s car died several days ago I agonized how we would afford to make car payments. I didn’t have to…he got a raise yesterday at work!
David…thanks for suggesting this wonderful idea…Happy New Year!
Today’s gift - some mad money to some girls going to Hawaii - who it turned out after I gave it had given their mad money to a Haiti fund. I love karma.
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.