29 Gifts | Celebrate the Joy of Giving

Don't know if you have heard about 29 Gifts yet, but I think its such a great idea that I want to share!

29 Gifts founder, Cami Walker, received advise from Mbali Creazzo, her spiritual teacher, "give something away each day for 29 days." The idea was to redirect Cami's attention from her multiple sclerosis. The gifts don't have to be big or expensive. For Cami it was things like a phone call to an old friend or a flower to a stranger on the street. It worked. After a few weeks of giving, Cami realized that she had been walking without her cane for several days.  The results of her giving benfited both her and the recipients of her gifts in many ways. She was so affected by 29 Gifts that she has started a foundation and wrote a book to reach out to others and tell them about the joy and benefits of giving.

I decided to join in and started on the 29th of November. Seemed like an auspicious date to begin and it was the day after my birthday. After the wonderful gift of a wonderful birthday with my family I thought it would be nice to give back, so to speak.

Several friends at work have also joined in and it's really fun to share our ideas for giving. One friend, Julia, left a thank you note on the door step on her neighbors who, once again, went all out with the outdoor Christmas lights and decorations. 29 Gifts changes your perspective on little things. I was at the grocery store my first of 29 days and the college student in front of me was juggling his skateboard and digging in his pockets to get the last five cents he needed to pay for his breakfast of a chocolate donut. The clerk at the register pulled out her coin purse and paid for him. The young man was genuinely appreciative and told the clerk "your the best." It occurred to me then that giving something as small as five cents can have a big impact.

If you want to learn more about 29 Gifts you can visit Cami's webiste at www.29gifts.com. Happy giving!