Today is #givingtuesday.
As stated on the official website, #givingtuesday was created in 2012 to “encourage people to do good”, and it has evolved “into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.” This designated day of giving follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
GivingTuesday.org also reports that nearly $400 million was raised online in the U.S. alone last year while breaking the billion dollar mark in just seven years. Clearly, many non-profit organizations around the globe and in our own backyards depend on the funds raised on this day to continue their good work.
However, I think many of us appreciate and like to be a part of #givingtuesday because it is also a reprieve from the excessive buying and consuming that annually ensues with the start of … Halloween! While this global day of giving is significant and has important implications for charitable organizations, it is also a quiet invitation for each of us to be more mindful of our actions and thoughtful of others.
If we want it, the day gives us an opportunity to shift from rushing to calm, stress to appreciation, distraction to presence, and consuming to giving. Best of all, giving can be simple and accomplished with a small act. In addition to that online donation or two, we can give a compliment, hour of time, smile, extra tip or hug to another person, and that always makes a big difference.