i heart generosity day!

Last year, Sasha Dichter, Chief Innovation Officer for Acumen Fund, converted his month-long "Generosity Experiment" into a global Generosity Day. The idea was simple: to reboot Valentine's Day as a day of "sharing love with everyone."

Sasha writes, "Give to people on the street.  Tip outrageously.  Help a stranger.  Write a note telling someone how much you appreciate them.  Smile.  Donate (more) to a cause that means a lot to you.  Take clothes to GoodWill.  Share your toys (grownups and kids).  Be patient with yourself and with others.  Replace the toilet paper in the bathroom.  All generous acts count!" 

Last year I celebrated with a book/DVD giveaway and I'm doing it again this year! 

Do something generous tomorrow - anything - and leave a comment telling us about it! I'll draw three names to win copies of The Gifts of Imperfection, I Thought It Was Just Me, and The Hustle for Worthiness DVD! 

Happy Generosity Day! 

Update on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 by Brené Brown

Congrats to Joan, Drew B., and Donna F.! 

Comments

[teryll]

I love this idea! I am in!

[Kelley Johnson]

Brene, this is what me and my friends at SheLoves Magazine are doing... giving generously toward the identity of women in Burundi by giving identity(cards) instead of roses! We believe that dignity for these women is so much better than a box of chocolates!

( Our story of generous living: http://shelovesmagazine.com/2012/sheloves-bubanza-project-can-love-move-this-mountain-in-burundi/)

[Stacey]

I've had my eye on that DVD and would love to give the book to a friend (I bought my own copy just last month). :) Thanks for the giveaway!

[Bridgette]

Brene, Thank you for making me aware of generosity day!. I have already taken your advice and provided a meal to a homeless man who was cleaning out his storage unit. He seemed delighted to have a visit with me and for the food. When I was leaving he wanted to give me something and was very pleased when I accepted a furniture blanket from him. It was one of those instances where two people both give and receive generosity.

If I am fortunate to be one of your three winners, I will be grateful to have the "Hustle" DVD. I already have purchased your two books. Best regards,
Bridgette

[Angélique]

What a great idea! I'm going to share this on my blog, too. Would you mind if I referenced your post here?

Thanks,
Angélique
sapphostorque.wordpress.com

[Cindy M]

Wonderful! I just donated to a 17 yr old who is having surgery tomorrow, on Valentine's Day, who is trying to raise funds for a Seizure Response Dog. Our family is trying to help her in her efforts as we have a Seizure Response Dog for my son and LOVE him and all he does. Thank you Brené for all your life changing work! :)

[Mary]

What a great idea. Tomorrow I'm going to write a love note to my partner teacher telling her what a wonderful person she is and how much I appreciate her presence, especially as a new teacher.

I love this idea. Thanks, Brene.

[Sandy Menard]

I just recently discovered you and love everything I've seen and read. I wasn't sure how I would celebrate this Valentine's Day and now I found my perfect solution. Regardless of the holiday I always strive to be kind and spread the LOVE. Thank you for the reminder and sending the love right back :)

[Bonnie]

Being generous, extra generous...hmmm. Seems easy, right? I'll send email notes to family members I am not often in contact with. That's hard. Vulnerability, and and all that stuff, you know.

Bonnie

[KP]

I love this. Brainstorming ways to be extra generous right now. Maybe I'll surprise my office with coffee. :)

[Tempo Life Coaching]

I love it! I started my day today writing a blog about giving, sharing kindness, and the like. I've ended my day with acts of kindness, and I will share this message via reposting on my site as well as taking it to the school where I work. I'm going to see how many children I can get to show acts of love and kindness tomorrow. It's going to be fantastic! I love this reboot of Valentine's Day. Fabulous!

~Carrie Hanson

[Lisa]

Like that much better than 'Valentine's Day', 'Be generous' a motto for life!!

[JoAnn Jordan]

What a cool idea! Fits right in with Random Acts of Kindness week. I'd be honored to be a recipient of "The Hustle for Worthiness" DVD. I'd be happy to pass it along once I watch it with my daughter.

[Joan]

I am going to have fun looking for something tomorrow. I'm in a "frump" (it happens this time of year in the midwest) and I came to your website for inspiration. You did it again!!!! Thank you.

[Will]

I like this idea. Being single it's easy to feel bad. I answer the phones at work and tomorrow I think I'll be exxxxxxtra nice and wish everyone a happy valentines/generosity day!!

[Kathy Berggren]

My plan is to tell and show my sister-in-law that I love her. My brother, her husband of nearly 40 years, was recently killed in a tragic accident by a drunk driver overseas. She will be spending her first Valentine's Day without him. I will be, too. I want her to know that life is still worth living...
Thank you.

[Jane B.]

I've been leaving "random acts of kindness" and "gorilla kindness" cards in unlikely places for months. They say things like, "Follow Your Dream" "You are Enough" "Make Your Live Worth Loving" It's so fun thinking of the people who will find these little messages.

[Shelley Fried]

it's both happy and sadness that I post this... I love the idea of renaming Valentine's Day to Generosity Day and I will take that with me to work.. but beyond that, I'm sad because being generous is what each and every one of us is meant to do. By finding your heart’s desire and following through on it, you too, can smile a little more each day, feel appreciation and gratitude in your heart and show the ripple effects that positivity has.

[Mandy I.]

As a family, with our six and four year old boys, we are going to make a bunch of brown bag lunches. Our mission is to drive around our neighborhood and hand them out to the people who are homeless. The boys are super excited to decorate the bags and make the lunches so we can bring hope and love to our city!

[Adam G.]

We tipped outrageously tonight, thanks to this article. :)

[Susan]

I made heart shaped pancakes for my family and made valentines for my childrens teachers to say we appreciate them. Nothing earth shattering yet but it is just 9 AM.

[Kim S]

This just makes too much sense...I am not going to spend an extra dime on this "holiday"...gonna pay it forward!

[Miranda]

In spite of snowfall, slippery roads and freezing cold last weeks, the paperboy managed to deliver my newspaper on time every day. Tomorrow I'll leave a thank you note and a treat on the doorknob. Hope it'll give him a moment of warmth :-)

Oh and +1 for Bonnie for being courageous!

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[Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS]

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[Daruss]

Hi Brene and thank you for your work.
Today I'll give a present to my partner, although I am fully perplex what my feelings are for him. I'll give a present, even if I know It may turn out that I do not love him and will have to hurt the best man in the world who never did me wrong. It's my personal vulnerable point and it's very hard.

[Lizzy]

Today I created a 1 page "valentine gift" on how to strengthen relationships by using Active and Constructive Responding.....and gave it out to people at all levels in my organization!

[patricia]

I am participating in the 29 Gifts project for February (29gifts.org). Also, I am posting a quote about love everyday on facebook, my own 29 days of love project. Yesterday, I gave a bag of outgrown clothes and a box of posters to the Rescue Mission. The day before that, I gave a (made by me) potholder to my mother's neighbor. Today, who knows?

[Sally D]

I love this idea, and I think this is what valentines day should be about! Love for everyone! Tonight I'm cooking for a group of friends and take the opportunity to realise how lucky we are to have each other!

[Des]

Today, I am soaking up all the love that is in the air.
I am the office manager and I have prepared each employees workspace with a flower in a tone of red (pink, orange, red, fusia) and a backed heart shaped treat filled with strawberry jam from an organic bakery.
Since I also received confirmation that I got the apartment I have applied for last Friday, I treated my self to a beautiful turkquoise buddha as the first item for my new scared space <3 .

[melissa]

thank you for this generous and exquisite offering. today i am vowing over and over again to slow down my breath and movements, to be(come) more fully present in my body and in the moment. and from this intended place of ease, i hope my words, gestures, energy will be sent and received with love. also sending simple love texts and offering wholehearted hugs to all who desire them.

[Anna]

wonderful reminder of being generous from our heart and simple acts to begin today. a drop of water in the pond and such a wonderful ripple effect. thank you.

[Anna]

wonderful reminder of being generous from our heart and simple acts to begin today. a drop of water in the pond and such a wonderful ripple effect. thank you.

[Anna]

wonderful reminder of being generous from our heart and simple acts to begin today. a drop of water in the pond and such a wonderful ripple effect. thank you.

[Anna]

wonderful reminder of being generous from our heart and simple acts to begin today. a drop of water in the pond and such a wonderful ripple effect. thank you.

[Lyndsy]

I work at an International Center on a university campus and for the students' spring social we crafted Valentine Cards to be delievered today through our local hot meal delivery to the elderly of our community. The students loved making them, and it was a great opportunity to teach them about service (even for those we don't know). I'm so excited to know 100+ elderly who are homebound are receiving a cheerful Valentine Card today!

[Melissa]

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday! I LOVE LOVE!!! Last night I cleaned out my art studio & found so many craft items that I wanted to donate to our local children's hospital (where my husband works). As a young child I had to be hospitalized for a great deal of time & TV gets pretty darn boring, so I hope that these "gifts" (projects/games/activity books/etc.) will cheer up the kids who are healing nearby.

[Sierra]

I bought dog food for someone that didn't have enough money. It felt good to pay it forward to the animals that provide love and support.

[Irene]

can I sign up my boys for this? they're giving up their birthday to help bring clean water to Sarswati Peace School in Nepal! please send encouragement!

http://www.irenenamphotography.com/10

[ariella]

I did surprise pick-ups for the other parents in my carpool and gave them the afternoon off!

[Oscar Sida]

This sounds like a great idea. My father Don Miguel is from Guadalajara and was just telling me how in Mexico, St. Valentines days is "Día del Amor y la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship) and a common custom is to perform acts of appreciation for friends and loved ones, such a contrast to the American standard for Valentine’s day, where I here so many people feeling left out of the celebration when they don’t have a “lover” to share with.

[drew elizabeth barnes]

I did change the toilet paper roll this morning! Embarrassingly enough, something I hardly ever do!

[drew elizabeth barnes]

I did change the toilet paper roll this morning! Embarrassingly enough, something I hardly ever do!

[Jill]

I am taking the time to acknowledge our front-line staff who do such remarkable work with so little thanks.

[Holly Em]

"Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out." Just like in the movie Amelie. I have sent a few of my friends something thoughtful and personal to them, unsigned. It's nice to receive things in the post (the old fashioned way vs. the internet), besides junk mail :-)

[Beth]

Thanks for spreading the generosity, Brene! This morning I gave up my seat on the bus to someone who looked like they needed to sit down a whole lot more than I did. They were grateful, and I'm still smiling!

[Sarah Hoenicke]

Hey Brene! I love this idea. This year for me has been themed with intentional gratefulness so this fits right in. Today I hope to go over the top with showing love for the people around me. One of the things I've done so far is to make my friend lunch. She's studying like crazy for her bar exam and rarely leaves her office so hopefully I took a little worry away with one less needed trip out. Happy Valentine's Day!

-Sarah

[Phoebe]

On Sunday, I baked cookies to bring to the monthly community council meeting that I will be co-leading tonight. We rarely have food/treats at these meetings, so I'm looking forward to giving them out!

[Andrea]

Thanks for giving another perspective on this wonderful day. What a great reminder. I'm just starting my day, but I did two thinkgs out of the ordinary this morning. First, I called my mom to tell her thank you for creating the traditions and happy memories that I have now as an adult that I am sharing with my child. Then when I got to work, I called a co-worker to let her know how much I appreciate all the things that she does on a regular basis that I don't have to worry about because I know she's handling it, then I asked her how I can help her.

Feels good. Happy Generosity Day!

[Andrea]

Thanks for giving another perspective on this wonderful day. What a great reminder. I'm just starting my day, but I did two thinkgs out of the ordinary this morning. First, I called my mom to tell her thank you for creating the traditions and happy memories that I have now as an adult that I am sharing with my child. Then when I got to work, I called a co-worker to let her know how much I appreciate all the things that she does on a regular basis that I don't have to worry about because I know she's handling it, then I asked her how I can help her.

Feels good. Happy Generosity Day!