It is Great to Give!

First a quote: “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” – John Holmes

Hello and happy Monday.

Christmas is one week from today, and Becky and I had the opportunity to participate in a wonderfully heartwarming gift-giving experience. Our hearts are full, and the primary gift-giving season is still yet to arrive. I share the following experience hoping it might trigger a few creative gift-giving ideas of your own.

Several weeks ago, we received an invitation, from a good friend and his team, to participate in a “Trivia Night” that was designed to financially benefit two unsuspecting beneficiaries. In brief, here is how our hosts ran their fun & generous event:

• They invited 20 couples to participate. (It was a fun group of people & new friends.)

• Each couple donated $100 yielding a total of $2,000 in prize money.

• At the event, they randomly partnered two couples for a total of ten 4-person teams competing to complete a timed trivia quiz. (A great way to make new friends.)

• The highest scoring foursome would be declared the winners; with each of the two couples winning $1,000. (Becky and I were not on a winning team. I have many strengths; trivia is not one of them. 😊)

• Each of the winning couples then:

• selected a restaurant of their choice,

• called the manager to ask if they had any deserving servers who might be “down on their luck.”

• enjoyed a meal at that restaurant; in that server’s area.

• at the end of the meal, presented that unsuspecting server with a $1,000 tip.

• Each winning couple videotaped the presentation that was then shared with all of us. Below are links to those videos:

• a single mom with three kids

• a young woman named Bethany facing a number of life challenges.

Becky and I were honored to be a small part of making a difference in the lives of others. Thank you Mike Conklin and Conklin Real Estate Team. It is truly better to give than to receive… at least, it is much more gratifying.

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan

For so many, the holiday season is not a joyous time. The lonely are even more lonely, the sick feel even sicker, the hungry feel even more empty (and not just in their stomachs) and financial woes seem worse.

For the remainder of this holiday season, regardless of your faith, personal beliefs, secular, or non-secular, let us all seek to be more kind. As John Lennon penned, it is easy if we try.

There are so many opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

For some people, receiving the gift of another person’s time may be the most precious gift of all. Time is precious, it is also limited and cannot be replaced.

Who would appreciate the gift of your time this holiday season?

“The greatest gifts are not wrapped in paper – but in love.” – Unknown

Maybe it is time to repurpose some of the time we typically spend on shopping for gifts to wrap and reinvest that time in the people we lead and/or love.

While my family has celebrated Christmas every year for my entire life, I am aware of the need for understanding, thoughtfulness, and respect for those who have different traditions, beliefs, and non-beliefs.

In addition to Christmas and Hanukkah, there are at least 14 holidays celebrated during this time of year including: Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Las Posadas, Diwali, Boxing Day, and the Chinese New Year to name just a few.

My wish is that all of us take a few minutes to reflect on this past year with gratitude and grace and that we look forward with hope, love, and compassion.

We all have an opportunity to be sources of happiness, joy, and goodness in the lives of others.

Thank you for reading my missives this past year. It has been my honor and privilege to write them. I’m looking forward to 2024 with hope, optimism, and happiness in my heart.

I won’t be back again on this medium until after the start of the new year. In the meantime, may your holiday season be filled with love, laughter, warmth and joy.

For our family, it will be a Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,

Bryan Yager

“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”

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Bonus Quotes:

• When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed .” – Maya Angelou

• A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. ” – Steve Maraboli

• You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ” – Kahlil Gibran

• “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.” – Unknown

• Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance. ” – Roy T. Bennett

• “Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.” – Jim Rohn

• “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou

• “Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.” – Barbara Bush

• “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

• “If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart.” – Arabic Proverb