See a fifty, pick it up…
Chapter 2012
Page 17 of 365
Two days ago, I announced my birthday cash giveaway. All that was required was to have at least 12 people each post a photo that represented a random act of kindness.
12 people = give away $50
38 people = give away $100
I thought for sure I’d be giving away $100 because the first day there were 8 photos posted and 20 new people joined our Facebook page. I expected the newcomers to post their photos soon.
Well, the deadline for the giveaway just passed and guess how many people posted?
Eleven.
Yes, 11.
One shy of the minimum requirement for a $50 giveaway!
Crazy huh? The 12th photo could have even been someone taking a photo of them submitting a photo to the contest as an act of kindness to the other 11 people.
Yeah, like this!
So I was thinking, what happened? Any of those people could have asked one person in their life to enter the contest. What do you think happened?
I am not sure, but when crazy things like this happen, I take a moment for introspection and think about what the lesson means for me. How am *I* stopping short of the goal? Where am I leaving money unclaimed? Am I overlooking some creative and simple way to get what I want? Are there ideas I do not try out because of what others might think of me? The answers came quickly and glaringly honest. (Thanks, brain.)
The next time some odd pattern or experience shows up, use it as a catapult to get quick answers for yourself. Try it! You may find it more helpful than you suspected it would be, and you may even grow more grateful for every kind of experience you journey through.
Although I did not get to give away money, I am grateful for the ideas for random kindness that were submitted and grateful for the lessons I learned about myself. I’d say this was even the best $50 I ever saved.
Interesting, I came on here to find out the results. I know for me, I was unattached to the end result, what was going to happen, was going to happen. I put it out there, and I let others decide, and it’s interesting how many of them DIDN’T decide to try. Maybe the effort of having to take a picture (or find a picture on your computer or internet) was just too much for them. I knew for ME it would be worth it, because even if I didn’t win, I got to participate in something worthwhile and that was taking a moment in my busy day focusing on what one can do to make other people’s days brighter.