Happy Inconvenience Yourself Day!

I just learned that February 28th is “Inconvenience Yourself Day”, a day that is celebrated on the fourth Wednesday in February each year.  When I heard about it my first thought was, “Why would anyone want to have a day where they inconvenience themselves on purpose?” So I decided to look it up and see what it was all about, and can I just tell you that I AM SO GLAD that I did?!

Inconvenience Yourself Day isn’t about yourself at all…rather it’s all about “acknowledging others, putting them first, and having a positive effect on their lives.”

The purpose of the day is to help us become more attentive to others, and recognize how our actions can impact them. It’s about taking the time at our own inconvenience to make a positive impact in the life of someone else. After all, helping someone else, even in the smallest of ways, can often times make an enormous difference in that other person’s life.

One website suggests a few ways we might inconvenience ourselves to help make another’s life better:

*Be there for others emotionally. If anyone wants to talk, stop what you are doing and give them your full attention.
*Show kindness to strangers. Inconvenience yourself by letting others in front of you at a store, or hold a door open for them. Allow others to merge ahead of you when you are driving. Park farther away in a parking lot, and leave the closer spaces for others.
*Show kindness to a neighbor or friend. Shovel their driveway or mow their lawn. Let someone else have the last piece of pizza.
*If you are teaching someone how to do something, take extra time to explain things in detail.
*If you have children, make time for them to make them feel appreciated. Put aside other things and give your children your sole focus.

Seriously, I am so glad I found out about this fun celebration and I am totally excited to join in!  Join in with me!  #inconvenienceyourselfday

~Amy Rees Anderson

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