In my Black Friday re-cap post, I mentioned how unsettled I felt after completing my shopping. As mentioned in that post, I really want to give back in a big way this holiday season. Giving back is a huge part of my life (but it also unfortunately is something that can fall to the wayside when life gets in the way). For instance, for my 30th birthday, I completed 30 random acts of kindness throughout the day. I literally spent most of my birthday doing things for other people, and I’ve never felt more alive, more excited, or more fulfilled. In the spirit of replicating those positive feelings, I want to roll out a new mission for this year’s holiday season, and I would love for you to join me!
Operation Giving Back is exactly as it sounds–it’s our way to show our communities, our families, and ourselves how much we appreciate all of our blessings, big and small. It’s a way to garner support for those who need it most, a way to inspire others to keep in mind what the holidays should be about. It’s a chance to free ourselves from the commercialized stressors of our Hallmark holiday demands and a way to feel warm & fuzzy inside for the right reasons (although some spiked eggnog can have the same physiological effect…haha!).
Each day in December, I will post about the Daily OGB Challenge. By the end of the month (and year…yikes!), I will have 31 posts filled with stories of inspiration, smiles, and good vibes. Some of the ways I plan to give back include the following:
- Donate some new toys to Toys for Tots and the Pediatric ICU at my local hospital
- Purchase the various bell, tree, and present cut-outs that local stores sell for $1 each to raise money for various charities and write inspirational phrases on them for others to be inspired when they’re hung up in the store
- Donate my time to a local assisted living community–and play some Bingo, damnit!
- Clean up the trash on some local roads
- Donate my time to the local animal shelter (bathing puppies, anyone?)
- Sign up for freebies/use coupons to amass a supply of toiletries, non-perishables, and household items then donate these to local homeless shelters
- Offer to drive my elderly neighbor to a doctor’s appointment, etc.
- Bake some cookies for my mailmen and trash collectors
- And many more!
So how can you join me you ask? It’s simple! Take the button I’ve created at the top of this post and proudly post it on your own blog. Comment how you’ll be contributing to the cause. Write your own posts about your daily Challenges. Donate your time, your extra money, your efforts. Find some way to give back in whatever way is most meaningful to you.
Pass the word and pass the cheer. Happy Holidays, indeed!!!
