The Joy of Giving

It's the time of the year that people think a lot about service. Before I write anything I would like to say of course that hopefully we can look for ways to serve always! I need to remember that and I try to every year, but its easier said than done. Anyways, it is great to see an out-pour of service throughout the holidays. I have been thinking a lot about service this week because I have seen a lot of it at work. Because I work at a non-profit agency we thrive on donations. And here in Cache Valley there are many wonderful people willing to donate so much to us. We have had several people/ organizations donate turkey dinners for Thanksgiving for the families who come through CAPSA. I am one of the lucky ones who gets to give the dinners to the families that come in because I am in the front office. These people are SO grateful and its amazing what the power of serving can do and the changes it can make.


All the service that I see personally and stories I have heard just go to show, people are generally good. It makes me think how much different our world would be if we served just a little more. If everyone served one person a day, and that person served another and so on, the world would be an amazing place! I truly believe that each individual can have a huge impact on the world around them. If we all did what we talk about doing, what we really want to do, serve just a little more, how much better would our corner of the world be? And not only would those around us be happier, but we would be happier. I think the big thing is taking responsibility to ACT and not just stand on the sidelines and wait for others to do the serving.
I hope all of us can be more aware of the ways we can serve, big and small. And not only during Christmas but all year. Each of us has the power to change lives and to make the world a better place.

Self

I was thinking today about self, and what impact that has on each of us. What I mean is that our sense of self and improving of self not only affects us personally but also affects those around us.

I think all of us at times find it much easier to look at others and nit pick all their flaws because looking at our own flaws is no picnic. But instead of focusing on that I want to focus on improving ourselves before we try to improve others. I truly believe that until we have a good sense of self we can not help others to our full capability.

As Aldous Huxley said, "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." That is one certainty of improvement. We can only be certain of improving ourselves. Others improving somehow because of us is not something that can be certain, nor should it be. Because the fruit of all change lays within each individual person. Each person holds the key for change within themselves, and though we can help one another along only the individual person has the will and capability to change themselves.


Our sense of self and self-respect is one of the most important things we can have. Because it affects our relationships with everyone we meet. If we do not truly love ourselves can we fully love someone else?

"The capacity for getting along with our neighbor depends to a large extent on the capacity for getting along with ourselves. The self-respecting individual will try to be as tolerant of his neighbor's shortcomings as he is of his own." -Eric Hoffer-


So I just want to end and say love yourself! Take care of yourself! Do things that you enjoy. Sometimes we want to take care of others so much that we in turn neglect ourselves. And when we do that those we are taking care of suffer also. Because they too feel the stress that comes from lack of self nurturing. :) So here are a couple of quotes to close off.

"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit."
-E.E. Cummings-

"The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself."
-Eleanor Roosevelt-

Non Traditional

So I was pondering last night while watching the food network and decided that when and if I get married I want a non-traditional cake and maybe some other non traditional events in my wedding. But here are a couple of examples the colors would be different. Call me crazy but I like to be unique :)