There’s plenty of room left for GIVING in the world
I’ve been thinking about giving, and what has become of it. Yes, recent world events have led me to this particular train of thought, but I assure you it’s never that far from my mind. It has been fairly depressing to witness so many examples of taking, or witholding, and yet I am constantly scanning the news for signs of giving. I find that kind words or deeds are like a food for the spirit, and they motivate me to do likewise. Until recently, I just felt kind of shell-shocked by the whole experience of events like Hurricane Katrina and the endless killings and bombings. Then something my sister did pulled me back.
She has started up a new website, called GIVEthing. It’s a community or forum kind of site, and she wants people to join up so they can share news and information about the charities and fund raising projects they support. I think that’s a fantastic idea. There are already sites that help you manage donations or sponsorship, but it’s nice to have a place where you can just hang out with like-minded types. I hope you’ll pop over and pay her a visit. I know that seeing what she is trying to create, and the effort she is putting in has been an inspiration to me, and helped me realise that I can’t just shrink away from the world when it gets uncomfortable. So I have decided to follow her example, and put a bit of give into it.
I think that giving is only one half of a transaction. To give, there needs to be a receiver. A lot of people I know are really not very good at receiving, whether that’s a compliment, a gift or perhaps praise. The tendency here in England is to play down any positive qualities, and that can be a source of unhappiness in itself; as it becomes a form of taking, by eroding self-confidence. So, I hope my sister knows that when I say “Well done!” I mean it sincerely, and I wish her well.
A Wish for WordPress.com
I just set up my new home on WordPress.com. I hope to have many fine adventures here, and would love you to join me. Do you have a wish? Share it with me here, and let’s see what happens.
“The best way to make the world a better place… Don’t say or do anything that your mother wouldn’t approve of.”
What one thing would you put on the list? Please add your ideas in a comment here (you can do this anonymously if you need to) or email them to me. I will feature them all in a later post.
If you have arrived here from my previous site, welcome! Please leave me a comment to say hello.
However you got here, if you are still reading, then I wish you well.
