Let’s face it, all these topics we face around keto are totally first world problems. Choosing an alternative eating lifestyle is a privilege we have when we have the time and money to do so. And, the epitome of first world problems include the ideas of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So, people who were concerned about community came up with the idea of Giving Tuesday.
When is Giving Tuesday?
Black Friday is a day when, traditionally, businesses start making profits in their year. So they celebrate by putting things on sale. It also happens to be right after the American Thanksgiving and it represents the start of the shopping for the holidays. Then, Cyber Monday was created to keep the weekend going. It’s a day that encourages us to buy technology and electronics.
As a way to counteract all this commercialism and capitalism, Giving Tuesday was created in the States in 2012. Canada jumped onboard in 2013. Giving Tuesday is a day focused on giving donations or volunteering at local non-profits. It’s a day focused on giving back to your community. Today, it is hosted in 80 countries.
What is Giving Tuesday?
The idea behind this day is to acknowledge that we can all drive an enormous amount of positive change by rooting our everyday actions, decisions, and behaviour in generosity. The website notes that the suffering of others should be intolerable to every single one of us. In Canada, we tend to view the suffering of others as a failure on their parts. We are very selfish in how we look at our world. The idea of Giving Tuesday is that we look outside our own little bubble. It’s about seeing how we can contribute to making our community a little bit better.
How This Affects My Normal Life
In my everyday life, I work for a non-profit organization. For the past 10 years, I have worked with adults who have intellectual disabilities to build their independence and work skills. It is an incredibly satisfying job, and it makes me feel like I am giving back every day. While we are partially government funded, we also depend on fundraising. Many of the things that make the programs what the participants need are funded through donations.
Days like Giving Tuesday are so important for non-profit organizations. Not only does it bring in some badly needed funds, it raises awareness of what we do and how that affects the community. The fact is, many people don’t know of a non-profit’s existence until they need the service. We try to use social media to let the larger community know what we do and why we do it. Having a day like this helps draw attention to the non-profits in the community.
Giving Tuesday is Good for the Soul
After you spend all that money on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it feels good to do something to give back a little bit. Now, let’s face it, many of us don’t have lots of money to throw at a charity. But Giving Tuesday is also about volunteering your time. Most charities and non-profits need volunteers, and that is just as important as money.
Today is also designed to make us think about how much better the world would be if we made all our decisions based on generosity. If we thought about how we could give and make our communities a little bit better by giving our time, our energy, and any extra money. What if, instead of buying that $500 bag, we bought a $400 bag and gave $100 to charity? Or, what if we spent a couple of hours helping at Special Olympics, rather than going to the mall for things we didn’t really need? Not only do you give back to your community, you feel really good afterwards. It’s a win-win.
Finding the Balance
For the last couple of years, every Christmas Bill and I are give a donation to a local charity instead of buying gifts for extended members of our family. Our family is truly blessed that we have most of the necessities we need. So, we make the donation and give a card to the family members that describe where we donated and why that charity is important to us. Others in our family have started doing the same – and it’s a snowball effect. It makes us all feel good and like we are truly embracing the meaning of Christmas.
Let’s be clear, I’m no saint. I want some presents to open on Christmas morning, and our immediate family still buys gifts for each other. It’s definitely a balance between giving and getting. There are times that I want that new outfit, and I work hard for my money so I will get it. Sometimes, I am exhausted with what I have on my plate, and I have no energy to give. Giving Tuesday is a day to just consider what we spend our money and energy on, and see if there is a more giving way to go about our lives.
Wendy
