When our tanks are empty, it’s easy to go inward, seek solace or even to perpetuate the feelings of negativity we may be holding. I’ve been there. This year has been, well, to be honest, the hardest of my life. I have had to look at ways to pull myself out of some dark places, and often, it’s been about giving to others. A surprise gift, a text just because, and other small gestures are a great way to impact not just one person, but sometimes a community… because kindness really has a ripple effect.
When we are feeling our lowest, someone’s support of kind gesture can not only turn around a day, but set your journey onto a new path. Some of you may know, but I’m a TELUS Ambassador, and one of the reasons I’ve chosen to partner with them is because they are known to be the #MostGivingCompany in Canada.
In the spirit of giving, I want to share four of my favourite small ways to be a little more giving:
Give your undivided care and attention: have you ever been spending time with a friend, confiding in them about something important to you, and they seem distracted, maybe even grabbing their phone here and there? The most special gift we can give is our undivided attention.
Surprise a stranger: I LOVE doing something that gives someone pause to feel that there is kindness in the world. I believe this can impact everyone that person comes in contact with through their day. Pay for the order behind you at the drive thru, offer help to someone you see who may need directions or help with bags, simply make eye contact with your cashier and give them a big smile and thank you. Heck, I have even added a Whole Foods gift card to my bill to surprise my fave Whole Foods cashier with.
Boost up a friend: Recently, my friend was going in for an elective surgery I knew she was nervous about. To help her during the recovery, I put together a little care package full of cozy socks, iced tea, a magazine, some chocolate and a candle to soften that not-so-fun time post-surgery. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, but a thoughtful gift that says you care can life someone up when they need it most!
Look around for how you can help: On May 25th, I put on my rubber boots and joined Team TELUS to clean up the beaches of False Creek in Vancouver which was a beautiful way to give back to my city, and the environment – something we all can do alone, or with a group of friends, to make a small difference to our world. It’s just a small part of what TELUS is doing to benefit the community in which they live. As you can see by the plastic cup I’m holding, there is definitely work to be done on our beaches, and we can all contribute our time.
A VERY cool thing that TELUS offered me as part of our partnership is $500 to donate to any charity of my choice. I’ve decided to donate it to the Vancouver Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.
A few key facts about how TELUS has truly given back and I love to know that when you choose a company like TELUS for your services, you know that some of that money is getting funnelled back into your community to do some pretty great things:
- $1.2B billion donated with our hearts and hands since 2000, 1 million hours given every year, 2 million youth impacted annually
- In 2018, TELUS, our team members and retirees contributed $150 million to charitable and community organizations and volunteered 1 million hours.
- This past year alone, TELUS has given seven per cent of its pre-tax profits to Canadian charitable organizations to create stronger, healthier communities and impacted two million youth through the TELUS Future Friendly Foundation, establishing TELUS as the #MostGivingCompany in Canada
- Since 2000, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $1.2 billion, through $682 million in financial support and 1.3 million days of volunteerism, to create stronger, healthier communities.
Thank you to TELUS for sponsoring this post. All thoughts are my own.
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