I’ve never been a fan of Hallmark celebrations – anything that’s forced feels inauthentic to me. If we want to celebrate our loved ones or grandparents or mothers or fathers or xxx (insert another 354 Special Days here), we should do it constantly and really mean it.
That’s why I was delighted to read about a new take on Valentine’s Day – Generosity Day. Here’s how its creator, Sasha Dichter, describes his vision:
“This Monday, Valentine’s Day, is going to be rebooted as Generosity Day: one day of sharing love with everyone, of being generous to everyone, to see how it feels and to practice saying “Yes.” Let’s make the day about love, action and human connection – because we can do better than smarmy greeting cards, overpriced roses, and stressed-out couples trying to create romantic meals on the fly.”
All we have to do is shift our world view for one day – go from being focussed on ourselves to being focussed on those around us. And that doesn’t just mean people we know – it means everyone we come across as we go about our day. Sasha gives some examples of great things to do:
- Give money to… a street musician, a homeless person, your favorite charity
- Take old clothes from your closet and give them to goodwill
- Leave a $5 tip for a $2 coffee
- Introduce yourself to someone you see every day but have never said hello to
- Bring in lunch for your co-workers
- Give someone a compliment
Generosity Day. Who knows – we might just like it so much we do it every day!
