I’ve sponsored this Pay It Forward For The Holidays initiative on the blockchain now for the past six years. This year, like last, it’s needed more than ever. 2022 has been a continuation of the most challenging era most of us have ever lived through. We could use a little optimism and a little reminder that goodness still exists more than ever.
When this initiative began back in 2016 I was just beginning to notice how the mainstream media was manipulating us with negativity and consumerism and how we could counteract it. After the past few years we’ve had it means so much more.
Many people around us are struggling, many of them are doing so quietly and secretly.
Through my social media pages I’m blessed to have a sizable global reach, my audience is an army of extremely kind-hearted people. It’s my wish to once again call you into action. The stories people have shared regarding this initiative in years' past are always the highlight of my holiday season.
I’m a firm believer that there is still more good than bad in the world and, once again this year, I’d like to prove it.
Your Participation Is Requested.
What I'm proposing, if you can spare it, is to invest whatever you can afford in the goodness of humanity. Even if the act of kindness costs you nothing, like a compliment or offering to open a door for someone. Simply help a stranger you cross paths with.
Anonymously pay for someone’s order in a drive-thru line at a restaurant, buy a hungry person a hot meal, drop off bags of groceries on the porch of someone less fortunate or simply hand someone a little cash and say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whichever Holiday Greeting you prefer. It’s easy to forget that each of us are fighting a battle every day and, despite appearances, we have no idea what kind of struggles others are going through.
This idea is very simple but it serves a twofold purpose. It may just help renew someone else’s faith in the goodness of humanity and, I promise, it will make you feel INCREDIBLE! This simple act will bring you much more joy than anything that the cash could purchase. In fact, this act of giving kindness might be the best gift you get this year.
It's my personal goal to practice some act of kindness myself each day throughout the month of December.
Keep it going! Please SHARE this post on Hive and other social media platforms.
Let’s start a wave of light to drown out the darkness of this world, or maybe just cause us to forget about it for a little while.
Thank you for your interest in my work this past year. Life has continued to take me further away from blogging this year, and I appreciate those who are still here with me. My belief in Hive and all of you has never wavered. I plan on being here, creating and curating, as long as people are willing to read my work.
As the end of the year approaches I see that old familiar light of hope just on the horizon. 2023 is going to be another chance to the normalcy we all crave. May your Holidays be rich with all the things that truly matter.
Oh, and please join us in wishing our beagle, Amstel, a happy birthday! Our boy is fourteen on December 1st.
Again, I appreciate your continued support. I wish you and your families an amazing Holiday season.
All for now. Trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
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How generous. Collective thinking for the people around us always brings a sense of satisfaction. That's what life is.
Actually giving is getting.
Yes, I have experienced it both ways in my life. It really gives me immense joy when I can help someone. That much-needed smile or relieving someone's pain is a million-dollar thing.
Thank you so much, Eric. You are a really kind-hearted and down-to-earth person.
Thank you @milaan! We would have paradise on Earth if more people practiced this every day. It takes courage to open yourself up in this way, but when you do, miracles can happen.
If we ever want to be cheerful, that internal happiness, then the best way out is GIVING
If we ever want to be graceful and grateful, then it is again GIVING.
And yes, this world ha all the potential to be a paradise, it just needs the courage to act.
Thank you again Eric.
Good post, warm and kind. Kindness is needed now more than ever, especially for us. Because of the war with Ukraine, it seems to me that the world has gone crazy and this nightmare does not end. I want people to have only good feelings, so that good is absorbed into every cell of the body. Everyone became sympathetic and merciful. You have a wonderful dog, God bless her for a long life.
Thank you @magnata!
That is a fabulous initiative! A thing that anyone can do at no cost or as much cost as they wish. I try to be kind every day (as an offset to being a cutting ass mostly) but I will try harder for a definitive daily act this December!
And happy birthday Amstel!! Great name!
Thank you, man. It's always a joy to do this. I appreciate you joining in!
Anything that adds to the balance of good in my opinion is always worth it!
Very true! Sometimes the "price of admission" is worth it. This time it was hunger pangs. Lol.
This week I did something similar... I went to the market and since they were having sales I bought a market for the week from a neighbor, because she needed it a lot...
I have already given several dozen eggs to the building guard, he is an old man and needs help
That is awesome that you did this for someone less fortunate. Thanks for doing it!
Hi Eric, you never fail to amaze me with your kindness! This annual initiative is awesome, and wouldn't it be great if this shows people just how much each act of kindness means to the recipients AND inspire many to carry it forward into the new year?
The world certainly would be a much better place!
I'm sure Amstel was spoiled rotten on his 14th birthday, lucky old man is he to have such a loving home!
Thank you for this initiative!
Thank you @lizelle! I've been so extremely blessed this is the least I can do. Now that I've gotten older this initiative is the part of the Holidays I look forward to the most. I think if people practice this way of living for a month (give or take a few days) it really might permanently change the way they approach life. Amstel has already had a lot of special treats, we discovered THE day is actually 12/3 (today). Again, thanks so much for your support of this initiative every year! Merry Christmas!
Thank you Eric, the same wishes back to you.
That would be my wish as well - that people live their lives in this manner.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
PS my brother & his wife is in your city right now visiting my nephew 🥰
What a great initiative. I know for sure that my wife and I will likely be taking care of some Christmas needs for some of the families at her school. I had to take my truck to a local church a couple of weeks ago for Thanksgiving meal pickup. I am sure I will be going back with her to pick up Christmas essentials. This local place really goes all out. The sponsored 10 families and the entire standard bed of my truck was packed full.
Thanks, it's so much fun to do this every year. Sadly, so far on Hive, it's not getting nearly the traction that it had in past years. That's very awesome that your church sponsors families like that! So many are struggling financially these days with the economy in the state it is.
That is too bad. It's probably mostly due to the fact that people are still suffering through the bear. We are in a much different place this year than we were last year when Hive was touching $3.
Yes, I have no doubt the bear market has something to do with it. I think the last HardFork really messed up user connections too. I've noticed that my account wasn't following many of the people I used to before the last update. I've had to go in and manually reconnect with a lot of users. I'm sure there are still some I've missed.
That is interesting. I didn't notice anything like that with my account. There was some flaky stuff with voting though.
Your dog is so cute. I would kiss her if she were near me.
The very nature of people is cooperative and peaceful. We need each other. So we all are social. But above that, there are good people around us who make it more meaningful. An act of kindness is the biggest virtue. Great initiative.
Thank you! What you say is so true. Unkindness, prejudice, violence is all learned behavior by those who wish to keep us all divided.
Pay it forward every day! 💗
Nice initiative to remind folks just how much they do actually have.
Abundance is a feeling. Not material wealth. And everything is relative. Including wealth.
Have a beautiful day. I'll share on fakebook for you when I'm at my desk. I don't keep that on my phone anymore. 👍
Ab-so-lutely! That's how my wife and I try to live our lives. Thanks, I hope you have a wonderful week and I appreciate you sharing the post elsewhere!
Completely true! After the pandemic we have been challenging with hyper inflation in my country this year. However, we still have hope for a bright future ahead. We have gained great experiences in recent years, pandemic, economic crisis, war, natural disasters...
Merry Christmas and wish a
Thank you! The past couple of years certainly have presented us a fair amount of challenges and lessons. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
What you say is true, there are still many good things and they far outweigh the bad, there are still generous people with a good heart willing to help those who have less
I love this action that you do every year, I hope that many people join in helping another
How beautiful the Amstel Christmas pajamas my happy birthday to him
I take this opportunity to wish you a splendid day dear friend @ericvancewalton
There's always something positive to be grateful about, isn't there? I guess sometimes we're just blinded to these things. The more I delve into mindfulness and gratitude the more I realize we must sometimes learn to see the world as if we were still a child. I remember being fascinated and entertained by the simplest of things. Thank you my friend! I hope you and the family have a wonderful week.
Happy fourteenth birthday to your beagle, Amstel.
And maybe it is little bit early, but I wish Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. Happy holidays.
Have a nice day. All the best. Greetings and much love from Hungary.
Thank you! He's enjoying the day, napping on his favorite couch. These days he's sleeping most of the time but I'm sure I will too if I make it his age.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you my friend! I hope your living conditions have improved and you and your hawk have a warm place to sleep.
Thank you. And indeed. I live with my brother again, and my Harris's hawk started to trust my brother too in the recent past, so nowadays everyone is happy. We heat the room with a cast iron fire (wood/coal) heater.
I'm very glad to hear conditions have improved! There's nothing better than a wood fire to warm a home.
Happy birthday, Amstel, a very adorable dog. You are very lucky to have him. May God bless you and your family, Eric.
Thank you Eliana! He'll get something special to eat, maybe some raw beef or cooked chicken. My God bless you and your family as well!
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Currently now I can't wait for December holiday to arrive 😌
There are many good times and opportunities waiting for us and we must be willing to make it beneficial for society, family and society, especially in the great hive community.
Very interesting article display. Have a nice day, friend.
Thanks!
you're welcome
You're welcome 👍