Cultivating Giving * Gratitude * Joy

The human contribution is the essential ingredient. It is only in the giving of oneself to others that we truly live.

Ethel Percy Andrus

The past few days I have been participating in the 29 Gifts Giving Challenge--which I highly recommend by the way. There is nothing--NOTHING--like practicing conscious giving.

Most noticeably, I am struck by this increased sense of peace, of well-being in the world. By intending to give daily, one seems to naturally join the group of those who have. I have not been giving money, my acts have been actions, gestures. At first, one might think that in order to participate one would need a pile of gifts to be handed out--or a pile of money to purchase gifts.

But what I am remembering is that before having money, before having a pile things, we each inherently have much to give

You will not attain righteousness till you give freely of what you love.

If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the ey and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me."

Ann Landers

One of the traits I love about the Internet and blogging--fluidity! I have been participating in the Giving Challenge, finding it to be a wonderful way to structure and compel conscious giving. I also believe my participation has enabled me to get clearer about the purpose of this site. With that in mind, a name change, The Awesome Power of Giving & Gratitude. A stimulating combination of a few of my favorite subjects! I hope you will come back again and again to join me.

Peace.