29 Days of Giving

I don’t know where I first heard about it…all I know is that I did hear about it.  It’s something that stayed in the back of my mind but I wasn’t being mindful of it until I decided to do some research online.  At first I thought it was solely about giving away twenty-nine items, presents, real and true tangible gifts, but it is so much more than that.  It’s more like a Pay it Forward (PIF) or a Random Act of Kindness (RAK) where it can be some THING that one gives and one receives but it doesn’t have to be at all.  It could be as small as giving your time, a smile, even a hello or as monumental as forgiveness.  Anything and everything goes.

The main challenge site is located at 29gifts.org.  It was inspired by a South African Medicine Woman, Mbali Creazzo.  This is what is written on the site about the inspiration:

“The 29-Day Giving Challenge originated as an African ritual, I suspect created for the Western world. Many of us have little concept of scarcity as known in many African countries. However, even when we have so much, we can still live in the scarcity of not having enough or being enough. This message is received in the Western world on a daily basis.

Giving of any kind... taking an action... begins the process of change, and moves us to remember that we are part of a much greater universe.

Try this: What if you were to give away something that you felt you could never part with? I would love to hear about that experience. It is the first teaching in non attachment. Enjoy your ritual.”

It reminds me of one of my favorite tales; a Christian allegory about a little girl who loves her fake pearl necklace she received from her dad who’s away on business a lot.   The little girl loved her necklace so much that she took it everywhere with her, she bathed with it and even slept with it.  One night when her dad was home he tucked her into bed and asked if she loved him.  She replied that she did and he said that if she loved him so much would she be willing to give up her prized necklace.  The first night she clutched the necklace hard to her chest and screamed “no!”.

This ritual happened again and again for several nights.  The father would ask is she was willing to part with the necklace and the little girl would reply “no”.  Finally one night as the little girl was settling down to go to sleep she handed her father the necklace.  Her dad smiled and said that he was very happy that she had given him the necklace and he had something in return for her and with that he pulled out a strand of real pearls and gave them to her.

Isn’t that such a sweet story? 

Here are the challenge “rules” if you will from their website:

• Your 29 gifts can be anything... money, food, old sweaters, smiles, your time, kind words or thoughts.
• You can start your own personal 29-Day Giving Challenge at any time—there’s no official begin or end date.
• To complete the Challenge, share a story about the impact it made on your life to focus on giving for 29 days. Your story can be told with written word, short film, recorded spoken word, song or visual art.
• The Challenge is intended to be a sacred ritual—it is your opportunity to cultivate a mindful practice of stepping outside your own story for a few seconds each day by serving others.
• Don’t quit. If you have a day that you feel unmotivated to give, it’s ok. Just go for the simple give. Call a friend and give some kind words. Write someone a nice note. Or exchange smiles with a stranger. Every give doesn't need to be monumental. You might even notice that the “simple gives” feel more powerful than the grand gestures.
• If you forget your give one day, be gentle with yourself. This ritual is about progress, not perfection. Sit down and quietly reflect on your day. Review the entire day mindfully and find the times you unconsciously gave so you can bring it into your consciousness.
• Don’t forget that there is never a day that you don't give. There are only days that you don't acknowledge and remember you did.
• Enjoy your 29 days. And remember to stay open to receiving. Giving can't happen without the receptors of our gifts. Good giving to you today.