29 Days of Love
Recently a friend invited me to partner with her on a possible life-changing month. Knowing how I'm constantly inspired by her and her heart of gold- I said "yes" before I knew what I was committing to. I knew it wouldn't disappoint so took the leap before I knew where I was jumping. Upon learning what she had in mind, I was even more excited than I was in my uneducated acceptance of this challenge.
Monday starts February. This is no ordinary February though as this is a leap year and we get an entire extra day this time around. While February is the time when the storefronts display hearts of every size and hue of pink - we are thinking we want this February to be more than chocolates, Valentine's and Hallmark messages.
In the book "29 Gifts" by Cami Walker, readers are encouraged by her story of giving away 29 gifts for a month. These gifts not only impact the recipients but truly changed her own life. You may be thinking "I can't afford to buy 29 gifts this month!" But wait- we didn't say anything about money. Sure, a gift could be a monetary cost -but it doesn't have to be. It could be a phone call, a visit with an old friend, going to see Grandma in the nursing home when it has been much too long since your last visit, a hug, an extra kind word, the list is endless. It could be the popular "I'll pay for the car behind me" Starbucks surprise or an extra large tip for the server. It could be something large or small. Regardless of what it is- it is a gift that you are sharing with someone else. Spreading your love and brightening their lives.
You're invited to partner with us in 29 days of love. 29 gifts to share over the next 29 days. The challenge starts Monday, February 1. Won't you join us as we focus on making February a truly giving month!?
To help spread this love and encourage one another as we spread positivity, a Facebook group has been created. Consider joining the Take The Leap facebook page to encourage others and share in the joint positivity. This page is not a place to self promote how amazing your gifts are or what you're doing but instead to encourage, uplift, and share the power of 29 days of gifts and love with others as we join forces, take the leap and change the world.
If you're interested in the book "29 Gifts", a synopsis is below. The book is available on Amazon here or at your local library or bookstore.
29 Gifts synopsis :
One month after her wedding day, thirty-three-year-old Cami Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and the life she knew changed forever. Cami was soon in and out of L.A.’s emergency rooms with alarming frequency as she battled the neurological condition that left her barely able to walk and put enormous stress on her marriage. Each day brought new negative thoughts:
I’m going to end up in a wheelchair. Mark’s probably going to leave me.
My life is over. Why did this have to happen to me?
One month after her wedding day, thirty-three-year-old Cami Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and the life she knew changed forever. Cami was soon in and out of L.A.’s emergency rooms with alarming frequency as she battled the neurological condition that left her barely able to walk and put enormous stress on her marriage. Each day brought new negative thoughts:
I’m going to end up in a wheelchair. Mark’s probably going to leave me.
My life is over. Why did this have to happen to me?
Then, as a remedy for her condition, Cami received an uncommon prescription from a friend, an African medicine woman named Mbali Creazzo: Give away 29 gifts in 29 days.
“By giving,” Mbali told her, “you are focusing on what you have to offer others, inviting more abundance into your life.” The gifts, she said, could be anything, but their giving had to be both authentic and mindful. At least one gift needed to be something she felt was scarce in her life.
Cami was amazed by what unfolded during her month-long journey.
29 Gifts is Cami’s poignant and unforgettable story of embracing the natural process of giving and receiving. Many of her gifts were simple—a phone call, spare change, even a Kleenex. Yet the acts of kindness were transformative. By Day 29, not only had her health and happiness turned around, but she had also embarked on creating a worldwide giving movement.
The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.