A Day of Giving

Today, WVU is hosting the first “Day of Giving” in West Virginia University's history - a day comitted to paying it forward and paying it back. 

It's been incredible and exciting seeing so much support being given to the University, as state support declines and we look to other sources of revenue to fill in those gaps.

I myself had the pleasure of visiting the events at our own Market cafeteria at Health Sciences Center today. There were fun giveaways for donations, friendly faces to take donations - and even lots of cupcakes.

Our challenges, at the time of writing this, we have less than eight hours to keep the donations coming. Anything you give can 

I often think of the many gifts we have in our lives and of the blessing of abundance in our lives.

We all have the abundance of the beauty that we see, the joy we get from engaging with people and activities that connect to our purpose and the ability to make things better for others.

I am reminded about one of the classic Mountaineer songs, "Simple Gifts." We are all endowed with gifts beyond our ability to envision them.

I once went to a talk by a Nobel prize winner who finished a great talk about the RNA molecule (of the over 2x  10 to the 25 power of molecules in our bodies) he discovered to win the Nobel prize and didn’t know its function.

It made me feel better about how little we really understand about everything.

Instead of having to understand everything, what if we just enjoyed and appreciated it?

Appreciate sitting on a beautiful fall day and see an array of hues of leaves?

Appreciate a meal with people we love?

Appreciate working at a place and at an occupation that connects to our deepest purpose and joy?

Appreciate the peace we find in a walk or listening to music we love?

Although all of us want to have enough to support our needs and our family’s needs, what if today is the day that we see the wealth in giving and in serving to others?

I think that is what the day of giving is - a day where we say thank you to so many others that have provided the day and opportunity we have now before us.

Changing the world for the better, together.