Driving around yesterday finishing up some shopping for our Angel Tree project I alternated between feeling happy about the unknown child who would hopefully have a brighter Christmas day because of our company's project and being annoyed with rude people who cut you off in traffic and cut in front of you in line. The former good feelings belong in December. The latter bad feelings do not. So what to do about it?
I have declared December my personal "random acts of kindness" month. Along the lines of those of you who did the daily blog posting in November, I vow to practice daily random-ish acts of kindness. They can be biggish like sponsoring a child for Christmas or volunteering for social goodness, or they can be smallish like extending extra patience and kindness to the insurance company on the phone when you are the fourth person I've spoken to and you insist you are still not the right person and pass me off yet again. AND if I lose my cool, get annoyed with other drivers or shoppers or co-workers [do I have to include my kids? Yeah I probably do], well, that cancels out the kindness. The goal: each day to tip the scales in favor of kindness.
Yes I know I know, we should do this every day of our lives. But I don't. For those of you who know me personally, you know I move at "240," I have a short temper, and I have no patience.
So I am taking advantage of my general glee and feelings of good cheer that surface this time of year. I love Christmas. I love the good cheer, the abundant ways there are to help other people, the joy on other people's faces when you do something for them. I love the happy music, the fond memories, the joy of knowing I am blessed with an awesome family and fabulous friends. I am thankful for my faith that gives reason for the season beyond rank commercialism. I love the parties with friends and family and the opportunity to visit with people and say, "Hey I'm thinking of you, and I think you're special."
And maybe, just maybe, if I can allow each day's goodness to outweigh each day's badness, then perhaps after 31 days, this practice will become a "habit" that will continue in 2009 and beyond.
For some of you, this personal challenge would be no challenge at all. But for me, this is a Very. Big. Challenge. A challenge, however, more worthwhile than anything I've tackled in a long time.
Care to join me? Leave a comment, post this button on your site, link back. (I don't know how to do all the fancy stuff with buttons and links. I created this "button" on powerpoint and then grouped it into a photo. that's as high tech as I get people.) And let the Joy Begin.
