We just finished with Black Friday where retail businesses make a profit and are thus 'in the black' as opposed to 'being in the red' with a deficit.
According to Wikipedia,
Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November). Since the early 2000s, it has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the US, and most major retailers open very early and offer promotional sales.(http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%28shopping%29)
This followed with Cyber Monday for online retailers offering great discounts on items in order to take advantage of pr-Christmas sales (http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Monday).
I discovered today via the media, AKA (also known as) the local newspapers, that today is "Giving Tuesday (or "GivingTuesday"). Was this giving in the form of donating money to charities? Or was it any type of giving? Those were the questions that ran through my mind.
I hadn't heard of this day before or had forgotten so I decided to check it out. This is a link: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giving_Tuesday.
Was this giving in the form of donating money to charities? Or was it any type of giving? Those were the questions that ran through my mind.
Another site states,
It is a new Canadian movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Cyber Monday. The 'Opening day of the giving season,' it is a day where charities, companies and individuals join together to share commitments, rally for favourite causes and think about others.(http://www.givingtuesday.ca/about/#.VH5xu8no430)
According to Wikipedia,
Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season (Black Friday and Cyber Monday). (http:/www./en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giving_Tuesday)
I like this concept. I really like it! We, at least in the western world seem to be plagued by consumerism, like an addiction. And unfortunately, I think other countries who idolize America and the American way may follow suit.
I think it a wonderful idea to be able to think of others and contribute/donate our resources, whether money and/or time. Both are valuable!
Giving is essentially a win-win situation as the charitable organization and/or individual recipient receives as well as the giver. There is a universal law about this you know? ;) Think of it this way, would there be a recipient without a giver or a giver without a recipient?
Deepak Chopra, author, physician, and spiritual guru came up with 'The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success' of which 'The Law of Giving' is one such spiritual law:
The universe operates through dynamic exchange . . . giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.(http://www.chopra.com/the-law-of-giving-receiving)
Deepak also claims that:
...Every relationship is one of give and take. Giving engenders receiving, and receiving engenders giving. What goes up must come down; what goes out must come back. In reality, receiving is the same thing as giving, because giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And if you stop the flow of either, you interfere with nature’s intelligence. (http://www.purposebalancelife.com/law-of-giving.html)
He expands even further on this principle,
...The more you give, the more you will receive, because you will keep the abundance of the universe circulating in your life. In fact, anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given. That which doesn´t multiply through giving is neither worth giving nor worth receiving. If, through the act of giving, you feel you have lost something, then the gift is not truly given and will not cause increase. If you give grudgingly, there is no energy behind that giving. (http://www.purposebalancelife.com/law-of-giving.html)
When you think of giving, what comes to mind? Are you a generous philanthropist or one-at-heart like 'The Little Drummer Boy'? (http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Drummer_Boy) (See around the 1:30 time mark if you are short of time.)
Or maybe a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge (http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Scrooge) in A Christmas Carol? (http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol)
HOW did you give today? ;)
I am linking this to #GivingTuesday, Ultra Blog Challenge, and Bloggers United.
