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~* Make a post to your LJ with a list of twelve holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and interest-related ("I'd love a icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for new stamp sets") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.
~* Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post so that the holiday joy will spread.
~* Surf around your LJ to see who has posted a list. And now here's the important part:
~* If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.
~* You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy.
~* There are no guarantees with this project, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.
I will tell you all right now that I do not wish for any "things" this holiday season. This whole list is intangible, but are things I see lacking in the daily lives of most people.
1. Reconnect with someone you haven't communicated with at all in at least 6 months. Often, the people we think about, wondering "whatever happened to him/her?" are wondering the same thing about you.
2. Apologize to someone. Make amends if you know you did something that hurt another person, whether it was intentional or not.
3. Say "thanks" to someone who has made a difference in your life. This shouldn't be someone you already show appreciation for every day, but someone that maybe works hard with little reward...maybe even someone you don't know personally.
4. Return something you have borrowed and kept for a long time. Sometimes we say "I'll return it when I get around to it" and days turn into months, and then years. If you have something that you know your friend might want back, return it now. There is no time like the present.
5. Let yourself be touched by something beautiful. The natural world is full of wonder. Stop for a minute and look around you with an open mind. You may be surprised by what you appreciate, and it may be something you've never noticed before.
6. Compliment someone. If you have something nice to say about a person, just say it.
7. Worship or Contemplate. Take a minute or two to be thankful to God/Goddess, Kismet, or Coincidence for something you have, regardless of your religious belief or lack thereof.
8. Look at some childhood photos. Don't forget where you came from. Let the past show you how far you've come, and inspire you to grow even more.
9. Do a kindness for a stranger. This could be as simple as letting someone with fewer items go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, or as involved as giving a card or flowers to a person with no visitors in a nursing home.
10. Donate something. Bring something to the Toys For Tots drive near you, or give blood, or an old coat. If you can't do any of these, visit http://www.freerice.com
11. Cheer a friend on. For many, the support of a friend makes all the difference between failure and success.
12. Forgive yourself. If there's something you've been kicking yourself over, stop. Instead of standing still on your mistake, map out a better path to take the next time. Follow that new road only look back to navigate. It's never too late to begin again.
~* Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post so that the holiday joy will spread.
~* Surf around your LJ to see who has posted a list. And now here's the important part:
~* If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.
~* You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy.
~* There are no guarantees with this project, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.
I will tell you all right now that I do not wish for any "things" this holiday season. This whole list is intangible, but are things I see lacking in the daily lives of most people.
1. Reconnect with someone you haven't communicated with at all in at least 6 months. Often, the people we think about, wondering "whatever happened to him/her?" are wondering the same thing about you.
2. Apologize to someone. Make amends if you know you did something that hurt another person, whether it was intentional or not.
3. Say "thanks" to someone who has made a difference in your life. This shouldn't be someone you already show appreciation for every day, but someone that maybe works hard with little reward...maybe even someone you don't know personally.
4. Return something you have borrowed and kept for a long time. Sometimes we say "I'll return it when I get around to it" and days turn into months, and then years. If you have something that you know your friend might want back, return it now. There is no time like the present.
5. Let yourself be touched by something beautiful. The natural world is full of wonder. Stop for a minute and look around you with an open mind. You may be surprised by what you appreciate, and it may be something you've never noticed before.
6. Compliment someone. If you have something nice to say about a person, just say it.
7. Worship or Contemplate. Take a minute or two to be thankful to God/Goddess, Kismet, or Coincidence for something you have, regardless of your religious belief or lack thereof.
8. Look at some childhood photos. Don't forget where you came from. Let the past show you how far you've come, and inspire you to grow even more.
9. Do a kindness for a stranger. This could be as simple as letting someone with fewer items go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, or as involved as giving a card or flowers to a person with no visitors in a nursing home.
10. Donate something. Bring something to the Toys For Tots drive near you, or give blood, or an old coat. If you can't do any of these, visit http://www.freerice.com
11. Cheer a friend on. For many, the support of a friend makes all the difference between failure and success.
12. Forgive yourself. If there's something you've been kicking yourself over, stop. Instead of standing still on your mistake, map out a better path to take the next time. Follow that new road only look back to navigate. It's never too late to begin again.