“When I am in service to another person, I am moving from a place of self-centeredness to selflessness. The act of giving inherently carries gratitude in it. For me, it is impossible to give without feeling grateful.”
― Cami Walker, 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life
During the past several weeks, I finished the book 29 Gifts by Cami Walker. The self help memoir begins with the author sharing the struggles of the debilitating disease of multiple sclerosis. The disease has progressed exponentially fast, and she had gotten to the point where she could not prepare a salad for herself or her husband, engage in her freelance job as a web consultant, and it was difficult to walk even short distances without the struggle of leaning on her husband. The author was 30 something years old and shared her difficulties with a friend, who was a healer from South Africa. This woman told her to give gifts for 29 days. At first Cami was in shock and hesitant how this would work. She felt her troubles were so overwhelming she did not have the capacity to give. But she tried. And she began to see changes. Energy increased, mood improved, her walking ability, and job opportunities came up. She also learned that by truly giving, she also was learning how to receive. With the changes she was witnessing, she started a movement, by encouraging friends and others via a blog to do the same thing.
And I thought I would do the same.
I’m currently in the midst of this, giving gifts for 29 days. I took inspiration from the book, and began to see that gifts includes tangible presents, but it’s more than that. Gifts are quality time, donations, advice, food, flowers, pet rubs. The rules are one must be intentional as one gives with a mantra “I give with grace” or “I give with abundance.” Use whatever phrase fits you. Reflect via a journal what arises for you. And one day even buy food for a homeless person, in addition giving them a specific amount of money (in the book it was $7). And I am seeing small shifts.
What are the types of things I have been giving? I have donated to an international children’s charity, a pet charity, I’ve baked goods for my colleagues twice and friends. In addition, I have offered classes with a full heart, although I knew there would not be much compensation in return for belly dance, yoga, and meditation. I’ve offered prayers, offering to pay for food or drinks for friends and families, leftover magazines for a colleague to do her vision board. I’ve bought future hotel stays for friends, we would be doing together. I’ve let people go in front of me in line. I’ve offered positive quote cards or memes to friends that were sad. I’ve offered the gift of honesty to someone I was dating that it wasn’t working out. It’s been a wide variety of ways I’ve given gifts, and I am reminded in the past I used to give freely.
As I completed this 29 day gift challenge, there was validation that I had once given freely to others and often. But eventually, I feel people have taken advantage of that, and I have closed my heart. Why give when it was not appreciated? In doing that, maybe I’ve shifted how the law of attraction works.
On the other hand, what have I received? I have attained two scholarships I applied for: one for a warrior at ease level 2 yoga training (focusing on trauma) and one to Esalen. Initially I noticed there was an uptick in men I was dating, although numbers don’t mean anything, it was refreshing. I observed one day I donated $5 and was granted a $5 coupon to use within 20 minutes, the law of energetic exchange works quickly. I received unexpected gifts from friends, it wasn’t a holiday or my birthday. I received a galentine’s gift and a collection of gifts from a fellow wanderluster’s travels. One must give without the expectation of receiving, but if one gives from his/her full heart, it’s reciprocal. It may not be in the exact same manner but it returns.
And now I offer this blog as a gift to you. As a challenge for you to try the 29 Day Gift Challege. Give freely, and see what arises.
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It Only Takes A Smile 