Give a gift to someone else – give the gift of self
I love a good give. Cami Walker – Founder, 29Gifts
I simply adore learning new things. I love letting in ideas, experiences, the insight of others.
One particularly insightful – not to mention creative – endeavor I’m enamoured with lately is 29Gifts.
Founder Cami Walker spent a sleepless night struggling with Multiple Sclerosis before picking up an old journal. In it, she found a note she had written two months before based on advice given by her spiritual teacher. The advice was simple: Give something away each day for 29 days.
As Walker committed herself to the challenge, she writes that, “…the more I gave away, the more abundance I was experiencing for myself.”
Well… I’m all for abundance; I’m all for trying new things. 29Gifts – here I come!
Finding creative ways to give
You may be wondering what this gift challenge has to do with a writing website. Four days into the challenge, I’m finding it has everything to do with creativity and finding new ways to express myself.
I knew from the start that some days would be difficult. I may find myself unmotivated, I may find myself reticent to ‘give’ in the sense of simply buying something to turn around and pass on. I want my gifts to be meaningful, not given with a grumble or a sense of obligation.
To make that all happen, I already find I’m putting a lot of thought into how other people feel. What would help someone else?
When you start thinking that way, when you start taking the idea of self out of the equation, it’s amazing how much things start to open up. I see people in a new way – even those I know well. I’m encouraged to see beyond the exterior.
Yesterday it meant ironing someone else’s work shirts and trousers. The day before it meant carefully watching the dough rise for my homemade cinnamon rolls. Today it means taking photos to help someone who’s looking to rent their home.
And I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.