Giving and Receiving Are One in Truth

We've been hearing about the Law of Attraction and the importance of gratitude for quite awhile now. Here's a slightly different take on the joy of giving, and how it can turn your own life around. Thanks to What Shines subscriber Anne Naylor for sending:

"Feeling desperate and hopeless after spending eight days in the hospital related to multiple sclerosis, 35-year-old Cami Walker decided to take an odd 'prescription' from an African medicine woman. The remedy? Give away one thing each day for 29 days. 'I thought the suggestion was crazy at first, but decided it wasn't going to hurt me to try it.

'Things couldn't get much worse,' said Walker. 'I was shocked by how quickly things turned around for me. By day 14, I was able to walk without my cane and many of my MS symptoms subsided. I was able to start working part-time again by day 29.' Now, several months and many daily gifts later, Walker says she is still improving.

Walker was so inspired by the changes in her health and other areas of her life that she decided to turn the 29-Day Giving Challenge into a worldwide giving movement: 29Gifts.org.

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 beginning 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 moments 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 share some kind words. Write someone a nice note. Or exchange smiles with a stranger. Every gift 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."