NATIONAL THOUGHTFUL DAY

August 28th brings with it an opportunity to demonstrate how we value each other. National Thoughtful Day sets aside a celebration meant to bring goodwill in a variety of ways. By serving the day with a spirit of generosity toward others, a ripple effect takes place.

What encompasses a thoughtful day? Sometimes it’s an awareness of fulfilling another’s needs. Whether they are celebrating something already or need a pick-me-up, being aware generates a multitude of thoughts that result in thoughtful acts. It can be a small token or an inspirational word. Either way, your thoughtfulness makes others feel special.

And many times, those special people in our lives will reciprocate in kind. While it is usually not expected when we’re being thoughtful, it tends to happen anyway.

Being thoughtful also creates an interchange of thoughts and ideas that spur even more thoughtfulness. One simple act or word can generate new friendships, cause a plan to develop or a garden to grow. Who knows where your thoughtfulness will lead!

A thoughtful day also gives us perspective. We pause a moment to think of another and not ourselves. Our consideration for others brings kindness to the world that would otherwise be missing.

And while all these reasons matter, one of the most important reasons to celebrate National Thoughtful Day is that it is necessary. Imagine all the lives we touch and how a single thoughtful act can impact them for a lifetime. Thoughtfulness is a necessity we cannot live without.

NATIONAL THOUGHTFUL DAY HISTORY

Thoughtful Pinch founded National Thoughtful Day to celebrate all the ways being thoughtful brings beauty, inspiration, and empowerment to our lives. According to the creator of Thoughtful Pinch, Barb Paton, “By being thoughtful, one size does not have to fit all. In fact, the more unique the celebration, the better!”

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalThoughtfulDay

Put your stamp on the day – your own style of thoughtful. Then put it into practice. Maybe you’ll become the aunt known for her sweet treats or the friend known for surprise coffees at work. Some other thoughtful ideas include:

Mail cards to several people in your address book. A handwritten note means so much since they are rare these days.

Deliver small treats to friends and family. They won’t be turned away, we promise!

Bring fresh flowers to your neighbor. They will brighten the day and make a connection.

Surprise someone with a new book. Inspirational stories bring comfort and joy.

Take a child to the park. Children always appreciate one on one time.

Visit Pinterest for inspiration or Thoughtful Pinch for more ideas.

Most importantly, share your thoughtful day on social media. Include your inspiration and plans while tagging them with #NationalThoughtfulDay.

NATIONAL JUST BECAUSE DAY

On August 27th National Just Because Day offers up an opportunity to do stuff…just because.  Feel free to celebrate this day any way you choose.  Just because!

Every day we all do things that are expected or required of us. Sometimes we even do things because we have to do them, we don’t know why.  Well, on this occasion, that does not apply.  This day is a chance to do something without rhyme or reason.

  • It could be that there is an outfit at the mall that you are admiring; buy it…just because.
  • Maybe you want to use a vacation day just to go fishing; do it…just because.
  • Perhaps you would like to pay the tab for the table next to you at your favorite restaurant; do it…just because.
  • Possibly you want to sing really loud while you’re in your car, by yourself, with your windows rolled down; do it…just because.
  • Surprise someone with flowers…just because!
  • Make something up…just because!
  • Or maybe, just maybe, do something just because Mom said so.  

NATIONAL JUST BECAUSE DAY HISTORY

In the late 1950s, Joseph J. Goodwin of Los Gatos, California created Just Because Day. It began as a family holiday and grew into an annual celebration across the United States.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #JustBecauseDay

Do something just because.  Use #JustBecauseDay to post on social media.

Be an Angel Day

August 22 is Be An Angel Day. Established in 1993 by Jaune Howard Feldman, the day encourages people to be angels to those in need.

In many religions, angels are supernatural spirits that are thought to be responsible for protecting humans.

Are you an Angel? This day reminds us that even though we can’t be actual angels, we can create the kindness they are known for. Showing kindness and goodness to our fellow human beings is not hard – all we need to do is to stop thinking about ourselves for a while, and to think about how we can make the world a nicer and kinder place.

More to Explore…

How to Celebrate?

  • Be kind to others. Do something to help a stranger.
  • If you know of someone who is going through a difficult time, give them your support and let them know that you are there for them. Help them out in their difficult times.
  • The person you make smile today may need it far more than you know.

In today’s world we have the opportunity to be anything, be kind!

If you decide to give to a charity there are a lot of choices out there.  I try to give to charities who spend more on the people they help than administration and CEO’s.   Here is a listing of my favorites.

The Salvation Army exists to meet human need wherever, whenever and however we can.  When you give locally, you ensure that the people in your community get the help they need.

At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need.We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.

Animal Allies Florida – was founded in December 2010 to help animals in our community.  Many of us have been doing this work for years on our own, out of our own pockets.  By creating Animal Allies , we can apply for grants, fundraise and join programs that support our efforts.  We can combine forces, share knowledge, and support each other, instead of trudging along on our own. Originally called Emerald Coast Animal Allies or ECAA for short, we changed our name in 2015 because many people though ECAA meant Escambia County Animal Shelter.  Although we support the county animal shelter’s efforts to become no kill, we don’t wish to be associated with them because we ARE NO KILL meaning no healthy animal is put down.

Whatever you choose, know that you are making a real difference in someone’s life.  Sometimes the biggest gift you can give another is to simply be there and listen.  Each of us makes an impact in the lives we touch.  I always compare it to touching the surface of a pond. Those ripples will be felt by others, I try to make my ripples count.  I hope this inspires you to get involved, give, and simply be kind in a world that so often is not. Together all those positive ripples add up to shape our world.

WORLD PARTY DAY

World Party Day on April 3rd encourages a coordinated effort of joyful human celebration around the globe. 

The world gathers to celebrate for many reasons. Forming a party often includes food, beverages, music, games, and other festivities. Hosts often create a theme or the theme generates the party. Several common modern-day party themes include bachelor and bachelorette, birthday, retirement, anniversary, graduation and welcome home. Many other party themes focus on specific foods. 

In our modern world, parties can also be virtual. We don’t always have to gather in the same location to celebrate a specific event or day. Technology brings us together through video and the internet allowing us to connect long-distance and celebrate all our favorite ways. Here’s a Playlist to get your Party Started…

The novel Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel, by Vanna Bonta published in 1995, which concludes with a synchronized worldwide celebration that occurs on April 3, 2000, is the inspiration for World Party Day. Gatherings can be small or large organized festivals.

WORLD PARTY DAY HISTORY

World Party Day was first observed in 1996 after the publication of Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel by Vanna Bonta. Since then, the sentiment explored by the novel has spread around the world.

HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldPartyDay

  • Where ever you are, celebrate with friends and family. Pick a theme that best fits the day. We’ve created a list of fun ideas to invite friends to join you virtually. Go online and create a video chat or an event on social media to share your party.
    • Make your own pizza party – Everyone makes their own creative pizza. Share the recipe with other party participants.
    • Movie night party – Pick a movie that all your party invitees will be watching. Pop popcorn and grab your drinks. Everyone starts the movie at the same time and lets the comments fill the online event page. 
    • Trivia party night – Play online trivia in a video chat with friends and family. 
    • Dance party – Challenge friends to record their best dance moves and share them with each other.
    • Game party – Hook up the gaming systems and invite friends and family to join you in the virtual world of games. 
    • Art party – Do it Bob Ross style and invite a local artist to demonstrate techniques for a group of your friends all through the power of the internet. Schedule your events around their already scheduled ones to show your support and appreciation.
    • Take-out party – Pick your favorite restaurants and do a take-out party. Pick just appetizers or your favorite desserts. Everyone meet back at your respective homes and tune in to the event to share where you ordered from. Celebrate good times and good friends while giving a shout-out to the restaurants you love the most!
  • Join the crowd and use #WorldPartyDay to share on social media.

NATIONAL I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY DAY

National I Want You to be Happy Day on March 3rd encourages us to do something that makes others happy. It also asks us to see others’ happiness from their point of view. Putting a smile on someone’s face tends to put one on ours, too.

Genuine happiness takes effort. While we’re not individually responsible for other’s happiness, we do play a role in spreading joy and good cheer. One way to do that is to see happiness from another person’s perspective. Happiness doesn’t fit a mold. Everything from being a morning person or a night owl, a favorite season and seafood can make or break a person’s general idea of happiness. A person’s overall journey through life gives them a unique outlook on happiness, too.

Being happy may merely be about quality, not quantity.

HOW TO OBSERVE #IWantYouToBeHappyDay

National I Want You to Be Happy Day is quite limitless. Give a flower here. Tell a silly knock-knock joke there. Buy the person’s coffee standing in line behind you. Remind your kids how much you love them. Leave a sticky note for a co-worker telling them to have a spectacular day, a happy day. Draw a happy face in the snow for a stranger to come across later. Give someone a hug.

But no matter what, consider someone else’s happiness from their point of view.

Use #IWantYouToBeHappyDay to post on social media.