Resolved....

N posted about resolutions on Friday. I know many people who make resolutions and then fail miserably to keep them.

I gave it a little thought, and although I don't usually make them, I am making one this year.

It's a small resolution.

I've decided that I will find a way to help someone out at least every week... anonymously.

Every time I've needed help in my life, it's been sent to me, sometimes from a completely unexpected source.

I've always been so grateful for that, but it's really difficult to accept help sometimes. You feel like you need to repay it, or find a way to balance the scales.  You feel funny when you run into the person who helped you out, too.

Weird as it sounds, a good deed can sometimes cause stress to the recipient.

That's why the anonymity.

I'll do it more often if the opportunity presents itself, but at least once a week.

I won't post about it on my blog. I won't talk about it. I'll just do it. It's not about me and how good I am, it's about sharing my extremely good fortune in life. I am a lucky person. I'm loved, cared for, and fortunate. So much more than many. Time to share a little more.

It can be something small, like sending a grocery store gift card to someone who could really use a little help, or filling out a comment card or sending an email to a store where I saw an employee going out of his or her way to help someone out. Sending a card to a person who's having a hard time. A stamp is cheap. Paper is plentiful. Even during the times I can't afford extras, I can at least do that.

I have done things like this in the past, and it occurred to me today that I haven't done near enough of it.

I will never have a lot of money to give away, and I can't do anything generous on a grand scale, but I can make a positive difference in someone's life. A small kindness can have a huge impact.

So that's my resolution. A small kindness or help for someone who really needs it at least once a week, more if the opportunity arises.

Anyone want to join me? You can't tell the person you helped out, you can't brag about it, and the only people who will know are you and the ones you help.

At the end of 2010, I will let you know how I did. If I managed the weekly goal.

But I won't tell you the details.

:)