I am on my 12th day of the 29 gifts challenge and it has already transformed how I look at the world. I have made www.29gifts.org my home page so that when I open up the Internet each morning it is the first thing I see and I ask the Universe: How can I serve today? I love that I am in the habit of asking how I can serve each morning and that now I look for ways to serve others, for any opportunity to give to those around me and even some that are not around me in the literal sense. It is bringing me towards the fulfillment of my birth-year goals of peace and connection with others.
So here is what has occurred over the last 11 days:
Day 1: Sent an author I know an e-mail wishing them good luck on the day of their book release (10/27/09)
Day 2: Sent a fellow student an e-mail thanking them for the critique they did on one of my manuscripts and the wonderful comments they made that will bring the manuscript to a whole new level (10/28/09)
Day 3: Sent another student an e-mail thanking them for all the help and advice they had given me last semester that had a significant impact on my writing. If this student had not been brave enough to be truthful about my writing, I would not be where I am right now in regards to my writing skills (10/29/09)
Day 4: Sent an author a link to a site where he can possibly promote his new novel (10/30/09)
Day 5: Set up free Disney hopper passes for a friend from my online writing group who is taking a life transforming journey around the United States and Canada to honor her friend who died of cancer (10/31/09)
Day 6: Donated money to the local food bank when asked at the grocery store (11/1/09)
Day 7: Kept the cost of car repairs from my 17-year-old son who worries a lot about money because I do (11/2/09)
Day 8: Helped a fellow student redesign her poster she was presenting at a research conference (11/3/09)
Day 9: Bought a lottery ticket, following my intuition. I didn’t win, but I followed my gut which is a process I am trying to improve in my life (11/4/09)
Day 10: I took the day off work, honoring my hurting body and wrote a piece that I had been wanting to write for quite some time. It was a gift to self that improved my condition even if it was just for one day (11/5/09)
Day 11: Volunteered at the local Foster Care Review Board and purchased a video game my son had been asking for (11/6/09)
I am very excited about how the following days will evolve as I ask: How can I serve? I hope that it will become intuitive for me to give every day and to be aware of how I can serve even after my 29 days have been completed. Giving to others is truly giving to the self by eliminating the fear of there not being enough or the belief that we have nothing to give outside of monetary donations. What a lesson we are learning that even a kind comment can transform another person’s day and possibly their life.
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November 7, 2009 at 10:29 am
Deanna Schrayer
Sarah, I applaud you for your dedication to giving every day. Our family motto is “You get what you give, so give love”. I try to live by that each and every day, but sometimes life overcomes us, and we forget to give. We must remember to put others first, no matter what’s going on in our own lives. We will always reap the rewards for doing so.
You’ve shown that it doesn’t take much to help someone each day. Sometimes, when people think of giving to others, they imagine a whole day of their lives wiped out due to committing to whatever service they’re offering, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Just typing an email to say thank you can take less than five minutes, but the recipient will carry that acknowledgement in their hearts all their lives.
You have inspired me – I’m going to buy the book for my family as a Christmas gift, one for each member, and somehow incorporate the 29 days of giving into a collective new year’s resolution.
Thank you very much!
November 7, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Suzanne
What an interesting idea – I’ll have to check out that web site. Thanks for the inspiration