I made it!!! Day 28 & 29

[Michelle]

My 28^th & 29^th Gifts

I made it!!  I am so thankful for this challenge.  I thought I would begin today with all that I have learnt over these past 29 days….

1. Every kind gesture (big or small) is important, worthwhile and has the ability to brighten up someone’s day
2. When you greet the day with the intention of looking for opportunities to “give” to others it makes you feel happy and appreciative
3. Before this challenge I didn’t realise just how wrapped up I had become in my own “stuff”.  As a result of this challenge I have become a better listener and it has encouraged me to look beyond myself and consider how others are feeling/thinking.  This is a shift in my consciousness that I am really proud of.  I have become more caring, thoughtful and loving.
4. What you put out into the universe you get back!  I am learning that giving and receiving really are reciprocal.  Throughout this challenge I have received new friendships, big improvements to my health, emotional breakthroughs, support, encouragement and new job opportunities!  

Day 28

One of the things I have learned at uni is that it is really valuable to give children specific praise and feedback.  That was my gift and intention today.  What a wonderful learning experience this was – everyone loves praise, it feels good, it motivates and it builds confidence.  Rather than a simple “good work” I made sure that I told the children “why” their work was good.  For example:

 

Well done – I really love the questions you have created.  It shows me that you listened and you really understood the task.  Plus you used the “who, what, when, where, why & how” question prompts which means you are going to get some really good information for your report

What I observed is when I gave the children specific feedback it made them feel proud of their work, they took more ownership and it really motivated them.  It was really enjoyable seeing them so eager to do well and excited to show their work.

That evening I picked up my best friend, we went out to dinner and a movie and had a wonderful big chat.  It was such a great way to end a busy first week at school. 

 

Day 29

Today my husband and I had a big cleanout of our wardrobe, the result: -

 2 garbage bags full to go to my Dad to use as rags when working with his machinery

2 garbage bags full to donate to charity

We both tried to be ‘ruthless’ with our giving.  Kristen is very sentimental and likes holding onto things and there are some items that I’ve been holding onto too.  When we got a little stuck I posed the question “ok – if we were going out with friends tonight would you want to wear that?” if the answer were no, we decided to let it go! 

We also reorganised all of our drawers – what a wonderful feeling to be able to open them, find what we are looking for and we actually have room to put clothes away now!!  Bonus

Later in the day we had friends visit us from Sydney (we met them on a trip to Bali – the day I purchased the 29 gifts book actually).  They were visiting theme parks close to our house, we offered to pick them up and drive them up Mount Tamborine – where we had coffee and a bite to eat.  We then drove them to their apartment, so they could shower and change, then we went out to our favourite Tepanyaki restaurant for dinner.  Their friendship is a gift, I love the feeling when you meet new people, you click and get along like you’ve been friends for years.  (Last night we were reminiscing about how we all met - I offered to take a photo for them...a kind gesture resulted in a great friendship!!).  They are in the process of buying an apartment in Sydney and we’ve been invited down for a holiday later this year! 

Finally I would like to thank everyone for your lovely comments along my giving journey – I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to share in this experience with me and I have really enjoyed your kind words and encouragement.

Also – Thank you to Cami for having the courage to write what I now consider to be the best book I’ve read!  And for the inspiration to create this website so we can all share our giving experiences! 

I’m sending love, happiness and blessings to you all!!

Michelle xx

[Michelle]

Thank you for the beautiful comments and encouragement xx

[Anita Silva]

Congratulation on finishing your first round Michelle. It is great to read how positive this experience it's been to you. I think that's the case for most of us. To me this is the most inspiring website that I know. Let's hope many more people will join us in this journey of giving.  Thanks for your lovely posts.

[Aunty Nean]

Congratulations Michelle. It has been great to share your journey and insight.

[Ruth]

Michelle, your blogs have been a delight and you have given so much to this community in writing about your experiences and thoughts.  I hope that your teaching practice is full of enjoyment and that you continue to delight in working with children.  May each day bring you new opportunities and friendships that nourish and support you.

And a P.S.  Love the "Would you want to wear that?" as a clearance technique.

[Michele wwt]

Congratulations on a wonderful round! Good luck to you in all you do and look forward to your next round of giving. Be blessed! :)

[Michelle]

Thank you!  I'm sure this is first of many rounds....the giving will certainly continue and the posts will probably start again once I finish prac at school!  I'll be stopping by regularly to check out everyone else's blogs. 

[Lois55 wwt]

Congratulations! Your round flew by! Your posts have been wonderful to read, I have learned from you. Take care....I do hope you stick around with us, but if not, please let us know how you and Kristen are..take care.

[Mare]

Congratulations Michelle!

[Deb~ Community Manager]

WooHoo and Congratulations, Michelle! Your post is so lovely. Thank you for sharing with us and I hope to see you do another round. If not, go in Peace and be blessed in life always! xoxo

[Ann]

Congratulations on completing round 1 of the challenge!  I loved reading your blog posts ad learned so much from you.  You gave very thoughtful, delightful gifts and your summary of "lessons learned" is so ture!  I hope you will join us for another round.