Live richly by giving for 29 days

I have noticed in my morning commute how jealous people are of their own space on busy sections of freeway. One car will follow another, bumper to bumper, shouting and honking if someone attempts to merge or change lanes. The result is always the same: the merging car goes as far as it can and then wedges into the lane, causing everyone to come to a complete stop. Including the jealous, honking driver who was afraid to give just a little bit of space.

Cami Walker explained in an interview that, before she started her personal 29 days of giving, she was "a selfish, resentful person." However, 29 days of giving have transformed not only her, but a community of over 3,600 committed givers.

The idea for the 29-day challenge is simple: for 29 days, you give something away. It doesn't have to be tangible: it can be kind words or a little time. The important thing is to get out of yourself for a few moments and focus on others. And, Walker observes that her own life has been affected as positively as those she's given to; she became happier, more successful, healthier and more creative. She's made new friends and her existing relationships have become more profound. It seems that giving allowed her to open up and to receive more abundantly in her own life.

Wanting to share her experience with others, Walker has created 29gifts.org, where others can sign up and commit to 29 days of giving. She's also created a community with resources for givers. Walker hopes that the community will grow to 29,000 giving-oriented individuals by September 29, 2009.

As for my first gift? That was easy. I decided to give my fellow commuters a little bit of space. Always leaving enough space in front of me for one car, I watched as the cars that merged also began to give other cars space. Eventually, traffic moved from a stand still to a slow but steady pace.

For more information, visit 29gifts.org.