I Dare You to do this 30 Day Holiday Challenge!...

     The hardships of the holidays does not discriminate by gender, age, race, or any other characteristic that helps to define who you are. It simply hits and takes names as it goes. Maybe you miss someone that helped to make you a little more whole while you watch other loved ones enjoy life around them. Maybe finances has you working multiple jobs, lacking sleep, energy, and quite frankly sanity. Maybe you are losing your home, job, facing sickness, battling life altering events, or even a combination of all of these.
     It may seem easy for others to say, “Keep your chin up!” Or even the simple, “You’ve got this!” They can’t possibly know what you’re going through after all. You might even find yourself getting frustrated with loved ones or even strangers that try to help you focus on just getting through one day at a time. However, this is not just a season of giving and reflecting. Winter may come and cause the vegetation in your area to die, but that does not mean this is the time to stop growing. If given the opportunity, I’d bet you would be surprised to find out exactly how much your cheerleaders in your life are truly suffering.
      I know it’s hard for some not to get irritated by the earlier and earlier arrival of Christmas in the retail world. I’m pretty sure Halloween and Thanksgiving still are listed on the calendar to arrive first. It’s hard not to miss those that can’t celebrate with us in the present. It’s hard to not stress about coming up with the extra money in order to buy those perfect gifts for our perfect someone. It’s hard not to stress about not making ends meet for yet another month and counting. It’s hard not to get sucked into the constant negativity of the media, the lack of sun and vitamin D, and the lack of warmth in general. (Unless you’re already hiding in warmer climates of course…)
Life is hard. If it were easy, well, then most people wouldn’t have something to complain about. However, those same people wouldn’t be growing either. Just because the foliage has come to a halt does not mean you have to. So I give you this challenge for the next 30 days….

1. Say thank you to someone that made your life easier or changed it for the better.
2. Reward the cheerleaders in your life by telling them you appreciate them.
3. Smile to everyone you pass. You may even save a life.

     That’s it. Simply strive to help make this world a little better when some are struggling to find the light in it at all. Be the Storm Chaser you were always destined to be by making the people around you strive to be better. There will be days when this will seem like an impossible task. There will be days when you will let the negative win and simply not make the time to complete this challenge. You might ask yourself, “Will any of this really even matter if I bother to do it at all?”
My answer is yes. More than you can imagine! So take the next 30 days as an opportunity to not only grow in the dead of winter, but to help others not only survive but also thrive. Don’t be afraid to document your journey below!  

#30DayHolidayChallenge2017
#SurvivingOurStorms
#BeTheChange