40 Days . . . Make That 38 Days . . . OK - I'm Shooting for 36!

Sometimes we have great ideas, great intentions of starting something, or great hopes of making a change, but then everyday life gets in the way.  We unexpectedly have to work late.  One of our children gets sick.  The pile of homework brought home resembles Mt. Everest.  Whatever "it" is, time runs out and our plans are shoved aside.  The old me would have thrown my hands up and with a huff of frustration saying, "There goes those plans out the window!  Just FORGET it!"  The new me looks at those situations and says, "OK, it didn't work out today.  What does tomorrow look like?"  Sometimes I have to look at tomorrow and the next tomorrow and the NEXT tomorrow, but the RIGHT tomorrow often comes and when  the time is right I'm ready to jump in.  That's exactly what has happened with my plans for Lent this year.

Though I have never participated in the practice of giving something up for Lent, I fell in love with an idea that I read about in Guidepost Magazine (http://www.guideposts.org/inspirational-stories/inspired-give-instead-of-giving-up) - 40 Days of Kindness.  Lent is about sacrifice.  Sacrifice doesn't always mean denying ourselves of something.  Sacrifice can be taking something that we have and giving it away - whether it's our time, our smile, our things . . . you get the idea.  Plus, there are MULTIPLE health benefits to doing good deeds such as relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, improving school performance, reducing chronic pain and more!  The website www.randomactsofkindness.org has a ton of information and a TON of ideas about good deed doing.  40 Days of Good Deeds - This seemed like the PERFECT project for The Jenkins Family! 

The night before the first day of Lent seemed like the perfect time for me to introduce this new project.  I selected one of my journals from my collection of blank journals (It's a bad habit - I can't pass a beautiful or colorful or sweet leather-smelling journal without buying it!  I already have enough to capture a lifetime of words and ideas, but I just can't stop myself from buying more!) for us to record our Good Deeds every evening.  I couldn't wait to see what ideas my family came up with of ways to give to others!  Tuesday arrived - I and was ready to share the idea with my family over dinner and kick-start our Good Deed Adventure on the first day of Lent. 

That's when the obstacles starting rolling my way.  Stomach Flu.  Piano lessons running late.  A Work day that would not end.  I'm picturing the final obstacle course on the TV show Wipeout when contestants are climbing up the ramp and large logs start rolling down toward them.  They either jump over them or get knocked into the freezing water below.  Needless to say, it's Saturday morning and the fourth day of Lent.  I've been knocked off course the last four nights, but I keep climbing up the ladder and facing the next log rolling my way.  I'm convinced that today is the day when I will get to share my idea with my family and we can kick-off our 40 . . . 36 Days of Good Deeds!   

There are two things that I hope you take away from reading about this experience of mine:

1) If you have an idea, a hope, a dream, an inspiration and an obstacle throws you off course, DON"T GIVE UP!  Try again tomorrow.  And if need be - the next tomorrow or the next tomorrow!  Trust me, the right tomorrow will come.  Two quotes that I love about perseverance:

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.  - Thomas Edison

When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”- Author Unknown

2) If you are feeling stressed out, over-whelmed or know that you need to do something to kick-start your Health Journey, I invite you to join me on this 36 Days of Good Deeds Adventure.  I obviously don't know the outcome, but I have a feeling that it's going to be AMAZING!  If 36 seems like too much, start with seven or even one!  I'll keep you posted on our Adventure.  Let me know if you start your own.

Happy Good Deed Doing!