Good Day Deed Diary and Suggestions

I told a friend that I planned to perform one good deed each day in 2016.  They immediately asked me how I was going to prove it.  I mentioned this blog and they responded, “Al, you can barely stay awake at night!  Do you expect to type a new blog post every day?”

Good point.

It’s not my intention to write a separate post for each good deed performed.  Four days have already past and while every deed is important and helped someone out in some capacity, neither were probably worthy of a full wordy blog post.  And I have a tough time keeping my words to a minimum.  J

My friend then asked another good question.  “You’re asking other people to do good deeds as well.  Are you going to assign a good deed for them to perform each day?  What if they don’t encounter sweet elderly ladies dressed in purple?”

I explained that while I intend to post a Good Day Deed suggestion every morning via Twitter and Facebook, it was by no means a demand that THAT deed had to be performed on that day.  She suggested that I compose a list of suggested deeds that others could refer to for inspiration.

So I based on this discussion, and my friend’s unintended good deed towards me, I decided to add a couple of pages to this blog.  If you look on top, your see a link to two pages.  One is “Good Day Deed Diary” and the other is “Good Day Deed Suggestions.”

The diary will be an account of what my good deed was for the day.  If I have an experience that’s worthy of special mention, I’ll definitely write a blog post devoted to such.  Otherwise, I’ll summarize in the diary.

The suggestions will be a list as I come up with them or as I am presented with suggestions by others.  You’ll note that the first suggestions actually came from my friend Maureen Churchill’s blog post, “40 Good Days,” which I’ve already referenced enough times to make Ms Churchill blush.  Still, it was a good list of suggestions and certainly worthy of heading up my list.

I encourage you to keep your own diary and share with me some of your experiences and suggestions.  Your efforts can be inspiring to others.  Remember that inspiration is not meant for one person only…but for one person, then the next, and then the next.

You can email your stories or suggestions at GoodDayDeed@outlook.com.

Let's Practice 366 Good Days in 2016!

My 13 year-old daughter recently asked me if I thought 2015 was a good year.  I told her that there was a lot of bad news in the media regarding terrorism, bigotry, and negative politics, but overall, it was a good year.  She asked why and I told her that we had certainly had some good times.  She pondered for a moment and then asked, “But, did we do anything good for anyone else?”

A day or so later, I mentioned the conversation to a friend.  She made me aware of a blog written by Maureen Churchill in the Carolina Parent website called “40 Good Days.”  The author stated that she chose to celebrate her 40th birthday by committing to do “one kind thing or good deed each day for 40 days.  The idea being to directly or indirectly touch the life of another person to celebrate the number of years (she’s) been on the planet.”  The good deeds ranged from simple to involved, from donating clothes or toys to building a bird feeder.  Ms. Churchill stated that the experience was incredible and she made sure to involve her young son in the activities.

My next birthday is several months away, but I got to thinking about the original conversation with my daughter.  If there was doubt about whether or not 2015 was a good year, why don’t we ensure that 2016 will indeed be a good year?  What better way than to practice not only 40 Good Days…but to practice 366 Good Days during this coming leap year?

And this is the challenge.  I will strive to do exactly that.  As the blog stated, I will perform one good deed or act of kindness each day to directly or indirectly touch someone else’s life.  Now, this won’t include “going to work” or “helping around house.”  Those are responsibilities and expectations that one should abide by already.  My “Good Day Deeds” should have an end result of a person smiling, or feeling good, which in turn will most likely cause me to smile and feel good.  That’s the thing; performing such a task not only does the world good, but it makes you a better person.

I challenge each of you to do the same thing.  Each day, I will tweet out a suggested Good Day Deed.  I will also share my deed of the day.  In some instances, they may be one and the same.  I also encourage you to share your Good Day Deed, or perhaps an idea for others to act upon.  Share your ideas or experiences on my Facebook page.  Send me a tweet @366GoodDays and make sure to add #366GoodDays.  If you'd rather, send me an email at GoodDayDeed@outlook.com.

I do this for myself and for my kids.  If you do the same and others do the same, it could result in a very good year for all of us.  Let’s all practice #366GoodDays starting January 1, 2016.