Hey everyone,
I am still alive which has been a bit of an effort on my part this week as I have just survived two migraines in less than a week! But I still have managed to do my kind act a day regardless of the pain I have been through! Just wanted you to know I am still committed! :)
My sister loves me (and is proclaiming my awesomeness to all of Facebook, lol) this week as I made the extra effort to spoil her and do some cleaning at her house whilst she, her husband & their kids were on holiday! It's school holidays so keeping the kids entertained is far more important than some hard cleaning! At least that's my opinion! Lol!
Anyway, during my migraines I struggle to stand up, people suddenly start glowing with auras & the pain is intense, I also can't handle much light! But I managed to medicate (with prescribed medications - please don't do this without medical consultation!) enough to make mum a cup of tea and did some cleaning! With regular breaks I survived! You might think i am crazy, and you are probably right! :D lol!
Anyways, I wanted to write about this because there are things in life that often hold us back and we shouldn't let them! I struggle a lot with holding myself back from being extraordinary. But it was a nice change for me to push through pain & discomfort to prove my commitment to making this world a better place! I hope if you get the chance, you will choose to benefit the world and not be held back by self imposed restrictions!
This doesn't mean you should disregard your own health & well being! When I did my kindnesses I did them after sleeping several hours (which is also a consequence of the migraines) and also made sure I was well hydrated! And I took regular breaks! But the ability to push through far outweighed the pain for me! Because it was something that would normally stop me! I don't want to be stopped. I want to make a difference!
I hope this finds you well!
Luv Daena x
Showing posts with label making a difference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label making a difference. Show all posts
Monday, October 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
A little bit about me...
Hi everyone,
Well i have been writing this blog now for over a year and have realized that unless you know me personally, you probably know very little about me. Apart from the fact I'm a lunatic who is starting her second year of kind acts!
I am a woman (i'm pretty sure you would have gathered that by the photo at least!), and i am 26 years old! I have just completed my Master of Arts in Archaeology degree and and working occasionally for one of the Western Australian Universities.
I have a wonderful family. I have two parents (still married) and i have a special older sister (and by special i mean awesome!). Both my parents have disabilities, however both are not related to birth defects of anything and are things that they have aquired later in life!
My mum has spinal injuries which cause her to be quite ill a lot of the time (so i do a lot of kindnesses for her!). I live with her and act as her "carer". She is an amazing woman who has taught me so much! She has always encouraged me to live my dreams and challenges me to challenge myself. She is also the woman that everyone loves and asks for advice or help. And even with her disability she doesn't let that stop her and she does the best she can for everyone she possibly can! I am inspired by her and what she puts up with and what she achieves as a result. I kind of find it funny when she tells me she feels like she isn't making a difference in the world! You just have to look at the people shes supported and she makes all the difference in the world!! She will often also do random acts of kindness with me, or as well as me! I love my mum so very much! Thanks Mrs Guest! :)
My dad is in a high care facility with a rare and debilitating brain disease called CerebralAmyloidAngiopathy (yes that is a mouthful to say!). For those interested in reading about it you can check out this link:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001735/
This disease causes my father to have mini strokes and have FrontoTemporalDementia (yes i like my big words!).However, this disease was only diagnosed in the last 5 years.
My father is/was an extraordinary man! He used to do so much for me and my sister that he was always considered our "House-Dad". He, coming from the country where he grew up in a country town, used to treat everyone as friends. He would bring home strange and interesting people he had met in his adventures, he would talk to people all over the world on the computer (my dad was one of the first people to have internet access in his area). He made/makes friends easily. He used to do what we call "bread runs". which basically means that he would collect the day old bread from local bakery's (that they couldnt sell that day) and take them to families in need and to halfway houses and shelters. He did this everyday for about 6 years, then he cut down a little as more people offered to help. Our little old car used to smell like bread as a result! My father supported Indigenous churches and he would sit and have a chat with the "bum" in the city, usually buying a cup of coffee to share with them. He has always challenged me to treat everyone equally and to share what little we had with everyone. He is part of the reason that i started doing this project!
My dad is still a great man, even though the disease has affected him alot, sadly. I still love him and visit him regularly... so often you will see little notes about visiting the nursing home. Or me talking to people there! I have discovered that even a kind word or gesture can be enough to make one of those other patients smile, as they rarely get visitors! I have come to love some of dads fellow "inmates" (as he calls them) and love to chat to them or give them "lifts" in their wheel chairs to the dining room for dinner. Thanks Dad for the love and support even from the comfort of your bed! :)
So enough about my parents... they are awesome! What more could you possibly want to know!? lol. Apart from the fact that they gave birth to me! :) hahaha!
Well, I have an older sister! V is about 3 inches shorter than me so i call her my "little sister" even though she's almost 6 years older than me. She is married to G who is a wonderful guy and en excellent brother-in-law! Both of them have supported me through so much in my life. Including letting me live with them when I was 17 for a few months, when dad first got sick. My darling sister V helps me run the Project 25 Page on Facebook! And i am grateful for all the things she has found that encourage me to keep going! Thanks guys! I am very grateful for everything!
V& G have two lovely kids, a boy AJ (whos 7 and three quarters) and a girl AV (who is almost 4 but thinks she 30... oh and she thinks shes the queen!). Both kids crack me up and are beautiful kids! AJ sat me down the other day to share all the Kind deeds he had done so i could write them in my book! And AV is such a funny little munchkin but when the time for hard work is come she's right in there with the rest of them. I love them dearly and they seem to think I'm the coolest thing since sliced bread, which is nice for the ego! lol!
That is my immediate family! But i have some awesome "aunties" who with their families treat me and mine like we are blood! These people are so treasured that without them i would probably not have done half the stuff i have done or wanted to do!
One encourages me verbally supporting me & my mum emotionally! She has also found every article written about Kindness for me! You are a champion! She has done a million kindnesses for us all that she may never know and she sends the ones she intentionally does to me for Project 25 so that i can be inspired too! :) She has supported me financially, emotionally and even physically. She does RAKs and kindnesses for those around her! And the love with which she gives them is profound!
One of my other "aunties" is so awesome she let me live in her house for a few years whilst she lived in a country town. She has supported me financially and practically over the years. She is one of the most practical people i know! She also leads by example. She is the one who in previous notes i have written about as she just makes quilts! And by "makes quilts" i mean she made almost 100 of them last year alone for the neonatal clinic at one of the hospitals. The quilting group she belongs to makes them for the postnatal deperession unit, as each new mum gets to take a quilt home with them. Apparently they are not in as much demand now, as they have a large stockpile! :) But she keeps making quilts, as its something she loves to do and that she can freely give to someone. i find it funny that she also doesn't consider what she does as Kindnesses or RAKs. She does it as its fun for her and it can practically help someone out!
There are so many people who help inspire me with what they do and who they are for me. I am so very greatful!
I wanted to share this because even though i have been writing about what i'm doing, I haven't been writing about who I am! and I am my family! They love me, cherish me and encourage me to do stuff that no ordinary person would do!
Like my mum dared me to shave my initials into the back of my hair when i was 12 and i did it! Well... maybe not all the things i have done have been such a brilliant idea! lol! But i will do things for a laugh or to prove those who say i cant do it that i can! I'm pretty stubborn. But I'm also passionate, creative and encouraging. I know that not all of my qualities are what everyone fit with but i try to follow my fathers example and treat everyone equally. Regardless of the skin color, sex, creed, religion, race, age or sexual orientation, i try to encourage and love those that i meet to the best of my ability.
I don't always succeed but like 365days of kindness... i take one day at a time and do the best I can!
Well now that i have written an essay about my life and family (even those NOT blood related) i hope you might understand what i do and why i do it a little more.
Thank you for reading this, and if you know me a special thanks for the support!
Cheers,
Daena Guest
Well i have been writing this blog now for over a year and have realized that unless you know me personally, you probably know very little about me. Apart from the fact I'm a lunatic who is starting her second year of kind acts!
I am a woman (i'm pretty sure you would have gathered that by the photo at least!), and i am 26 years old! I have just completed my Master of Arts in Archaeology degree and and working occasionally for one of the Western Australian Universities.
I have a wonderful family. I have two parents (still married) and i have a special older sister (and by special i mean awesome!). Both my parents have disabilities, however both are not related to birth defects of anything and are things that they have aquired later in life!
My mum has spinal injuries which cause her to be quite ill a lot of the time (so i do a lot of kindnesses for her!). I live with her and act as her "carer". She is an amazing woman who has taught me so much! She has always encouraged me to live my dreams and challenges me to challenge myself. She is also the woman that everyone loves and asks for advice or help. And even with her disability she doesn't let that stop her and she does the best she can for everyone she possibly can! I am inspired by her and what she puts up with and what she achieves as a result. I kind of find it funny when she tells me she feels like she isn't making a difference in the world! You just have to look at the people shes supported and she makes all the difference in the world!! She will often also do random acts of kindness with me, or as well as me! I love my mum so very much! Thanks Mrs Guest! :)
My dad is in a high care facility with a rare and debilitating brain disease called CerebralAmyloidAngiopathy (yes that is a mouthful to say!). For those interested in reading about it you can check out this link:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001735/
This disease causes my father to have mini strokes and have FrontoTemporalDementia (yes i like my big words!).However, this disease was only diagnosed in the last 5 years.
My father is/was an extraordinary man! He used to do so much for me and my sister that he was always considered our "House-Dad". He, coming from the country where he grew up in a country town, used to treat everyone as friends. He would bring home strange and interesting people he had met in his adventures, he would talk to people all over the world on the computer (my dad was one of the first people to have internet access in his area). He made/makes friends easily. He used to do what we call "bread runs". which basically means that he would collect the day old bread from local bakery's (that they couldnt sell that day) and take them to families in need and to halfway houses and shelters. He did this everyday for about 6 years, then he cut down a little as more people offered to help. Our little old car used to smell like bread as a result! My father supported Indigenous churches and he would sit and have a chat with the "bum" in the city, usually buying a cup of coffee to share with them. He has always challenged me to treat everyone equally and to share what little we had with everyone. He is part of the reason that i started doing this project!
My dad is still a great man, even though the disease has affected him alot, sadly. I still love him and visit him regularly... so often you will see little notes about visiting the nursing home. Or me talking to people there! I have discovered that even a kind word or gesture can be enough to make one of those other patients smile, as they rarely get visitors! I have come to love some of dads fellow "inmates" (as he calls them) and love to chat to them or give them "lifts" in their wheel chairs to the dining room for dinner. Thanks Dad for the love and support even from the comfort of your bed! :)
So enough about my parents... they are awesome! What more could you possibly want to know!? lol. Apart from the fact that they gave birth to me! :) hahaha!
Well, I have an older sister! V is about 3 inches shorter than me so i call her my "little sister" even though she's almost 6 years older than me. She is married to G who is a wonderful guy and en excellent brother-in-law! Both of them have supported me through so much in my life. Including letting me live with them when I was 17 for a few months, when dad first got sick. My darling sister V helps me run the Project 25 Page on Facebook! And i am grateful for all the things she has found that encourage me to keep going! Thanks guys! I am very grateful for everything!
V& G have two lovely kids, a boy AJ (whos 7 and three quarters) and a girl AV (who is almost 4 but thinks she 30... oh and she thinks shes the queen!). Both kids crack me up and are beautiful kids! AJ sat me down the other day to share all the Kind deeds he had done so i could write them in my book! And AV is such a funny little munchkin but when the time for hard work is come she's right in there with the rest of them. I love them dearly and they seem to think I'm the coolest thing since sliced bread, which is nice for the ego! lol!
That is my immediate family! But i have some awesome "aunties" who with their families treat me and mine like we are blood! These people are so treasured that without them i would probably not have done half the stuff i have done or wanted to do!
One encourages me verbally supporting me & my mum emotionally! She has also found every article written about Kindness for me! You are a champion! She has done a million kindnesses for us all that she may never know and she sends the ones she intentionally does to me for Project 25 so that i can be inspired too! :) She has supported me financially, emotionally and even physically. She does RAKs and kindnesses for those around her! And the love with which she gives them is profound!
One of my other "aunties" is so awesome she let me live in her house for a few years whilst she lived in a country town. She has supported me financially and practically over the years. She is one of the most practical people i know! She also leads by example. She is the one who in previous notes i have written about as she just makes quilts! And by "makes quilts" i mean she made almost 100 of them last year alone for the neonatal clinic at one of the hospitals. The quilting group she belongs to makes them for the postnatal deperession unit, as each new mum gets to take a quilt home with them. Apparently they are not in as much demand now, as they have a large stockpile! :) But she keeps making quilts, as its something she loves to do and that she can freely give to someone. i find it funny that she also doesn't consider what she does as Kindnesses or RAKs. She does it as its fun for her and it can practically help someone out!
There are so many people who help inspire me with what they do and who they are for me. I am so very greatful!
I wanted to share this because even though i have been writing about what i'm doing, I haven't been writing about who I am! and I am my family! They love me, cherish me and encourage me to do stuff that no ordinary person would do!
Like my mum dared me to shave my initials into the back of my hair when i was 12 and i did it! Well... maybe not all the things i have done have been such a brilliant idea! lol! But i will do things for a laugh or to prove those who say i cant do it that i can! I'm pretty stubborn. But I'm also passionate, creative and encouraging. I know that not all of my qualities are what everyone fit with but i try to follow my fathers example and treat everyone equally. Regardless of the skin color, sex, creed, religion, race, age or sexual orientation, i try to encourage and love those that i meet to the best of my ability.
I don't always succeed but like 365days of kindness... i take one day at a time and do the best I can!
Well now that i have written an essay about my life and family (even those NOT blood related) i hope you might understand what i do and why i do it a little more.
Thank you for reading this, and if you know me a special thanks for the support!
Cheers,
Daena Guest
Monday, January 30, 2012
August 2011 - RAKs (& Project 25)
Well in an attempt to clear the back log, I am uploading the August RAKs here too! So i hope you like!
I have found it quite satisfying to have been able to write out my RAKs in my "Scrapbook". Not only does it act like a diary for me (as i don't keep a regular one of my own) it reminds me of all the different things YOU CAN DO for others. I know that some people believe that one person can make a difference, and i agree but the more people we have making a difference, no matter how small, the difference happens faster! I ask that if you want to make a difference like me, that you make a small commitment to doing so. It doesn't have to be something as crazy as doing a WHOLE YEAR of kindness but if you make a commitment and stick to it, you too can make a differnece in your community!
I love hearing about what others are doing in their own homes, towns, cities and countries! So please, if you have done a kind deed for another and want to share it with me I would love to hear about it! As i am sure a lot of others would too. That's why i originally created the group Project 25 - Random Acts of Kindness, so we could share our kind deeds together and inspire each other to make a difference!
You can use the - Project 25 Facebook Page and share your good deeds there or in the comment section of this blog. You can also email the Project 25 Email address.
I hope you are enjoying the ideas and the journey i have been on! Its been hard, challenging and most of all fun and rewarding!
Thanks for all the support so far and i look forward to hearing from you in the future!
Cheers,
Daena x
Saturday, December 31, 2011
The End?! Or just another Beginning!?
Happy New Year Everyone! This has been a extraordinary year for me (Daena) as I have been working to complete a kind act everyday for the last year! Today is the last day! Where has this year gone? But I won't quit being kind to others or going out of my way to make someone else's day just that little bit more friendly, loving or unexpected!
I have also witnessed some awesome people doing kind acts for people they don't know! For those that have been following my blog, you would know about the act of kindness I received when my car broke down (a nice bottle of bubbly). Tonight in the spirit with which I received the gift, I will be sharing it with some of my closest friends... One last kind act for the year!
I also witnessed a family friend make & then donate 93 baby/cot quilts to charities! The one thing I particularly love about this friend, is that she has found something she loves to do, make quilts, and she has just kept going at it, pursuing what she enjoys and gives away what she has no need of! I love the Idea of finding something you love doing & turning it into something you can give/share/teach/help others with!
So for the last note of the year, I want to thank everyone who has been an encourager, receiver, giver or motivator for me, those who have shared their stories with me, and lastly those that have challenged themselves! You have inspired me to keep going! THANK YOU!
Have a safe & happy new years eve 2011, and watch this space for Project 25- 2012!
Luv Daena x
I have also witnessed some awesome people doing kind acts for people they don't know! For those that have been following my blog, you would know about the act of kindness I received when my car broke down (a nice bottle of bubbly). Tonight in the spirit with which I received the gift, I will be sharing it with some of my closest friends... One last kind act for the year!
I also witnessed a family friend make & then donate 93 baby/cot quilts to charities! The one thing I particularly love about this friend, is that she has found something she loves to do, make quilts, and she has just kept going at it, pursuing what she enjoys and gives away what she has no need of! I love the Idea of finding something you love doing & turning it into something you can give/share/teach/help others with!
So for the last note of the year, I want to thank everyone who has been an encourager, receiver, giver or motivator for me, those who have shared their stories with me, and lastly those that have challenged themselves! You have inspired me to keep going! THANK YOU!
Have a safe & happy new years eve 2011, and watch this space for Project 25- 2012!
Luv Daena x
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
365 Days of Kindness... the Beggining!
This is the start of a new project for me. I started Project 25: Random Acts of Kindness 2 years ago, and i wanted to show my level of commitment to doing kind acts for others.
So pretty much it involves me doing a kind act every day for a whole year. Not only will this make Project 25 a little more boosted... as there will be at least 365 kindnesses done... but i also hope it will encourage others to do something kind for those around them!
For those that are new to Project 25 please let me explain just a little...
In 2009 - I created this as the Project 25 brief...
So when we completed the first year of Project 25 there were a few things that i wanted to change... i thought that it would be great to change it to a calendar year... instead of the Australian Financial Year Calendar. I thought that i wanted people to know that it wasnt just everyone else that was trying to make the difference...
I really hope to inspire people to make a difference. And to encourage everyone to write down their kindnesses and send them to the project 25 email address and then i can post them either here... or eventually on a website! I've been hoping to get all of these good deeds put up (annonymously - from the author) so everyone can see that there is good things happening in the world.
Anyway,
so like i was saying before i got easily distracted...by Project 25... of course!... I have already started doing my 365 days of kindness. Its only the 4th of January... and as the day isnt over yet...so im still looking for the opportunity to do something for someone else today.
But i already have the 1st -3rd covered with kindness!
Im just an ordinary person, trying to do something a little different. I'll do my best to keep with this... Hopefully this will inspire you as well as me!
Goodluck with everything in your life...
So pretty much it involves me doing a kind act every day for a whole year. Not only will this make Project 25 a little more boosted... as there will be at least 365 kindnesses done... but i also hope it will encourage others to do something kind for those around them!
For those that are new to Project 25 please let me explain just a little...
In 2009 - I created this as the Project 25 brief...
Hi there, my name is Daena Guest.
I've created a global project that I’m hoping will inspire some positive change in the world.
I’m calling this Project 25.
All I’m asking you to do is perform ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS and then write a brief report about it and send it to act_positive@hotmail.com. This is an email address I have created so that I can keep a record of all the wonderful things that have been done.
Eventually I will create a web page with the short reports of things that people from all over the world have done randomly and with kindness. The website will contain the Acts of Kindness listing only your initials, geographical location and contents of the report; to maintain privacy.
Slowly and positively we will bring more Kindness into the world.
This is a project that I hope to inspire YOU with. I would love to have ONE THOUSAND random acts of kindness in ONE YEARS time (25 June 2010), by people all over the world.
In a time when we are constantly bombarded with the hardness in our world, its trouble and strife, I want to remind you and everyone that there is goodness and kindness out there. Everyone can make a difference. We can change the world one kindness at a time.
Over the last few years I have taken pride and pleasure in being able to help others in small ways (or even big ways). And not only have I enjoyed the experience the person receiving the kindness is very happy about receiving it!
Sometimes I have found that when I did this anonymously or without knowing the person benefitting from my gift, I was able to grow myself, as I was not expecting anything from them in return.
But this project is not limited to just anonymous random acts of kindness... its just limited by your imagination and willingness to be kind to others.
Here are a few ideas for Random Acts of Kindness:
~Help someone out at the supermarket check out.
~Buy a needy person a meal.
~Returning money that has fallen out of someone’s pocket.
~Help buy a toy for someone’s child at Christmas time -
(The supermarkets stores usually do children appeals that are great to support).
~Buy or make Blankets for women’s refuges/homeless people/People in need.
~Be polite to someone while driving on the road - Courtesy is always appreciated.
Not all of these things cost money, and I’m sure that you can think of a million more things that would be able to help someone out.
All these things make a difference.
I look forward to hearing about your random acts of Kindness!
Daena Guest
(Project 25 creater)So when we completed the first year of Project 25 there were a few things that i wanted to change... i thought that it would be great to change it to a calendar year... instead of the Australian Financial Year Calendar. I thought that i wanted people to know that it wasnt just everyone else that was trying to make the difference...
I really hope to inspire people to make a difference. And to encourage everyone to write down their kindnesses and send them to the project 25 email address and then i can post them either here... or eventually on a website! I've been hoping to get all of these good deeds put up (annonymously - from the author) so everyone can see that there is good things happening in the world.
Anyway,
so like i was saying before i got easily distracted...by Project 25... of course!... I have already started doing my 365 days of kindness. Its only the 4th of January... and as the day isnt over yet...so im still looking for the opportunity to do something for someone else today.
But i already have the 1st -3rd covered with kindness!
Im just an ordinary person, trying to do something a little different. I'll do my best to keep with this... Hopefully this will inspire you as well as me!
Goodluck with everything in your life...
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