Thank You for Your Patience Although I realize that I kind of "fell off the wagon" when it comes to reporting (and perhaps even doing) rejection therapy projects on a daily basis, I wanted to wrap up this project and the year by sharing some of the adventures that I was blessed to experience as part of this process. Remember Jia, the guy who created the Rejection Therapy project? I was blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to do a rejection therapy project with him, beta testing his app and reporting along the way my journey with a group of complete strangers. Final Rejection Therapy Projects What were some of the rejection therapy projects I undertook? I did a couple of "buy a coffee for the next person" projects; however, the most impactful project in which I participated was to leave flowers at the grave site of my grandparents who died when I was young, and with whom I had not reconciled after learning of some bad choices that they had made while still alive. This project was both personal and life giving, as the feeling that I now have every time I drive by their cemetery is much different than the one I used to have before giving myself the grace and space to forgive them and open up more room in my heart for love. One day, I sent a care package to the daughter of a very sweet person with whom I attended high school and whose daughter had been in the hospital for some time. I received a very sweet note thanking me for the package and exclaiming that it was as if I had known her daughter my entire life (even though the two of us have not met). Even though the rejection therapy project with Jia was only a week, what I really liked about this challenge is that he gave examples and suggestions for each project, separating them into different categories and giving real world ideas so that we could take the ball and run to make the world a better place. Another thing I really appreciated about this opportunity was that he sent us messages of encouragement and asked good questions, creating a type of mentor and mentee relationship that can be helpful for everyone. Lessons Learned What did I learn over the course of this 100 day project? One of the biggest and best lessons was that it is possible to make a small change in the life of others that can have a big and lasting impact. In Matthew Kelly's latest book, The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity, he talks about how the saints were not actually perfect people, either, and how even though we put them on a pedestal and can sometimes feel like it is impossible to aspire to their levels of greatness, that saintly moments are created one habit at a time, and that our actions become our habits and our habits become our lives (does this sound familiar? It is the quote that I use on my blog site from the first Matthew Kelly book I read). It is truly possible, therefore, to become saints if we choose a trajectory of life that leads us on a path of one good choice after another. Even if we falter, this does not take us out of the running as saints. What is important is that we get back up and try again, and that we live our lives with integrity and passion. I am reminded of another of my favorite gurus, Rachel Hollis, and how she says that the biggest passion projects in our lives take time, and even though I found massively fast and positive results with rejection therapy, I think the biggest change is my mindset over the long haul. From time to time, I have to remind myself that even though I do not always make the choices that will lead to my goals in every infinitesimal interaction, that I am still a good person and that every small try leads me closer to success in the bigger and overarching areas of my life. Another lesson that I learned most drastically in Bolivia while on mission, but that I was reminded of again and again during my rejection therapy project, was to run towards my fears. Sometimes, these fears are small, like being pleasant to someone whom I think doesn't like me very much, or putting on a smile yet again when I am scared that I am going to be rejected by someone that I don't know. Other times, however, these fears are big, like apologizing for something that does not fit with my personal integrity or with how I define my interior peace and character. Each time that I interact in one of these difficult conversations with courage and with humility, it increases my confidence in myself and makes it that much easier for the next time that this comes up. In Conclusion Let me know if you have any final suggestions for random acts of kindness or growth projects for the future! As I end many of my Miracle Morning blogs, I am a child of the One True King, always learning, always growing.
2 Comments
Day 61: give balloons out at the hospital - I thought it would be a nice idea to give balloons out on either the children's floor or in the Children's Mercy Hospital, so I went to get the balloons aired up. First I went back to the Dollar Tree, which is where I originally purchased the balloons, and the employee with whom explained that although they could not put helium in latex balloons, she thought that Dillon's could. So I was on to Dillon's to ask the floral department, and the young lady who worked there told me with a smile on her face (to match the smiles on the balloons) that she could do it in about 10 minutes! After she finished airing up the balloons, I headed to the hospital, parked on the yellow floor (to match the yellow balloons), and first stopped at the pediatrics unit. When the nurses said "yes" initially and buzzed me in, I went to the nurses station and was greeted with about 12 smiling and apologetic nurses who told me that the hospital has a policy against latex for allergy reasons. As I told them I understood and explained that this was a "rejection therapy" project, they thanked me and graciously made me feel welcome on their floor. Leaving the hospital, I thought of the park with the zoo nearby, and that perhaps there would be some children there who would like the balloons. It was still open for half an hour, and the sun was still up, so I was on my way! Lesson 61 - perseverance pays off, and smiles are contagious :). I found a family getting out of the car when I arrived at the park, so immediately I was able to give away 4 balloons (and one flew away as I was handing them out and both brother and sister were reaching for them at the same time). Then I was down to 6, and I headed to the playground to hand out the final balloons, asking parents if their children could have them as much as possible. It wasn't long before I headed to the zoo and saw a cute beaver trying to gnaw its way out of the enclosure, beautiful birds with feeding time fish, and lots of water where the turtles live. On my way out, one of the kids from the initial family said, "hey, the balloons are gone," and I thought to myself, "how nice it is to be noticed." Day 62: pick up someone else's coffee - I was extremely fortunate to receive a Starbuck's gift card from a friend for a birthday gift (thanks, April!), so I was able to "pay it forward' by covering the coffee in the car behind me. Lesson 62 - In my Hot Asana Yoga teacher training we just read the "yama" of Brahmacharya, i.e. non-excess. Although my Starbuck's purchase was just one drink, and the purchase in the car behind me was enough to amount to my getting one more drink out of my card, one more drink is all I need! Day 63: give a care package to someone living on the street - this was my third care package in a sequence of care packages that I purchased together, and the woman who received it was extremely thankful and exchanged more human connection with me in that brief interaction that I have received in several hours' presence in the company of those who do are not currently in need. Lesson 63 - patience is a virtue, and I passed up several homeless (as we currently label them in this country) people before I felt the gentle tug of the still, small voice to give to this woman in need. |
AuthorValerie Ellis, who is in alignment with the Black Lives Matter Movement and everyone whose life is impacted, now or before, by times of social injustice. Archives
July 2022
Categories
All
|