I decided to do the 29-Day Giving Challenge as an experiment. I was in a very dark period in my life dealing with a chronic illness (Multiple Sclerosis) as well as a major move from San Francisco to Los Angeles. One of my spiritual teachers, Mbali Creazzo, suggested that I give away 29 things in 29 days in an effort to get outside my own struggle for a few seconds each day.

I wrote down Mbali’s suggestion in my journal and then promptly forgot about it. I couldn’t fathom giving to others at that point. I was very attached to my struggle and really believed that I had nothing to give anyone. I believed I needed all of my energy for my own healing. I was forgetting that healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens through our interactions with other people.

The first day of my personal 29-Day Giving Challenge was preceded by a sleepless night. I was awake all night feeling angry and sorry for myself. When insomnia hits, I often go through old journals and read them. I found a note that I'd made during that phone session with Mbali two months before. The note said, "Give something away each day for 29 days." It was 3 a.m. and I decided in that moment to take the suggestion.

And so the challenge began. I woke up the next day and the next day after that feeling excited about what I might give away. And I began to notice that the more I gave away, the more abundance I was experiencing for myself.

I wanted to see what would happen in my life if I really committed and focused my energy on giving for 29 days. What space would it create in my life for new and unexpected things to occur? What shifts would I see in my thinking and behavior as a result? What impact would my gifts have on others? These were just a few of the questions I was curious about in the beginning, but there’s no way I could have anticipated what unfolded for me.

By Day 29, I was astounded by the magical and miraculous shifts in my energy for life:

• I was feeling happier, healthier, and more in awe with life.
• I found myself smiling and laughing more.
• My body got stronger and I was able to stop walking with my cane by week two.
• My business exploded with new, unexpected opportunities amounting to more than $8,000 in unanticipated income for that one month.
• I began connecting with a community of new friends in Los Angeles after feeling isolated in my new home for several months.
• My creativity opened up and I began writing stories regularly again for the first time in over two years since my Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.
• I began experiencing a deeper intimacy in my relationship with my husband.

The list of changes goes on and on. This is only the beginning.

When I started out, nothing was planned. I simply began the day and when I felt moved to give something, I did. Part of me initially wanted to plot out the 29 days and line up the things I was giving in my hallway so I had the illusion of knowing what to expect. But collapsing into that old, manipulative way of being would defeat the purpose of the experiment.

I documented what I gave away and any observations I made each day. I began to post the stories online. Who knows, I thought, maybe others will decide to take the 29-Day Giving Challenge and experience a similar positive impact on their lives. So I decided to invite some friends to join me and within seven days of sending the first invitation over 120 people signed up and committed to the Challenge.

My goal with the 29-Day Giving Challenge is to start a Giving Movement in the world. I want to collect and publish stories and art from people who commit to the challenge as a way to promote more generosity on the planet.

I hope you'll decide to join in the fun and start giving.

Peace, light and good giving to you today. May you be the recipient of many gifts.