This Christmas I felt totally non-committal to buying stuff for people or even giving out cards. It was not because I wanted to save money, nor am I a mean person. I was surprised at my lack of seasonal spiritedness. However I have very much enjoyed the colourful lights, the sparkles and cheeriness. Yet I realized there was something missing!
At this time of year people can experience a sense of loss or grief as we consider how life has been this past year, or maybe we’ve lost a dear one. There can be a sudden dark cloud of depression descend. At Christmas and New Years when there’s a lot of pressure to be social, to be happy, enjoy oneself, give gifts, eat and drink to excess. Yet don’t we know there’s something missing here too!
I help out at a bike related business and they had some bike seat covers left over from a recent campaign. I was offered these festive red and green covers and I thought how ‘nice’ it would be to do random acts of kindness by giving them out to cycling when it was raining, or simply leaving them on a bike for the owner to discover. So this is what I’ve been doing for December.
With no expectation of a thank-you, or even an acceptance that the person would want this item. It has given me a fulfilment in spreading a little joy, a little surprise and keeping some bums dry.
Considering how important it is, at least as best we may, to support our local suppliers and makers. LOHAS, to nurture our local economies, keep our communities vibrant. I made my first crowd-funded investment today. It felt an honest goodness to be able to give my support to a producer. The key thing for me, is non-attachment to what dividends I may or may not receive. And yes of course it would be a prudent financial investment to receive a bonus at some time in the future. Yet my view of this investment now is more to do with feeling a sense of joyous giving without attachment. Emotional financial mindfulness.
Sew some seeds, with little blessings of random acts of kindness. Even if it’s just smiling at other’s. It may fill the gap of retail therapy with a deeper sense of meaningful bliss. It might lift that ‘black cloud’ for a while to see the blue sky. Sharing the sparkle of joy
lohas #mindfulness #newyearsresolutions #slowlife #retailtherapy #bliss #bicycles #randomactsofkindness #cycling #localeconomy #community #sustainability #crowdfunding #pausemomentsforyou #Todolists #greenliving #mentalhealth
Here’s my New year’s resolution suggestion uploaded to LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-brings-us-joy-new-years-resolutions-lohas-random-2simplifylife
