The other thing I realized, only when I got back, is how late I’m going to be for people’s Christmas presents and cards But never mind that, I want to share with you a way to send a Christmas card that not only lifts someone’s spirits, but also helps them grow as a person.

It’s actually very simple, and first appeared 2 years ago in my post Give Someone a Magical Christmas. All you have to do is include and complete this magical phrase in your Christmas card:

Who you are makes a difference to me because…

Junming, who you are makes a difference to me because of your continued support and strength, you inspire me to do better in my own life.

Dom, who you are makes a difference to me because of your dedication to your dreams and your wacky humor, you inspire me and make me laugh at the same time.

Brenda, who you are makes a difference to me because of your support and integrity, I know you are someone I can count on.

Yezhong, who you are makes a difference to me because of your wisdom and your integrity, I know I can always go to you for some well-thought out advice.

And so on.

Other phrases you can also use are:

I appreciate you for…

I’ve always admired you for…

Only 3 more days till Christmas – who’s someone you know whom could really use a special (last minute) personal development Christmas card?

Environmental issues have always been dear to my heart, after all we are talking about the single most important factor to whether we human beings get to survive as a species or not.

Want to do a part too? You don’t have to give money, just follow these 10 simple tips to do your part for our environment from the Inconvenient Truth website.

It’s been a year since I step into the village, talk and play with the “forever-smiley” kids. I’ve seen them from photographs sent by friends over in Cambodia but nothing compares to hugging and running around with them. And… nothing beats having a mud war with them at the river.

When the bus makes its way from the bustling streets of Phnom Penh to the rural mudtracks of the village, my heart beats faster with anticipation and my palms get sweaty. This might sound a little ridiculous, I know, because I do not even expect myself to feel this way before the trip. It was a rejoicing moment when the kids spotted us (they didn’t know we are coming). Hugs, laughters and tears were exchanged.

One year has gone by and most children remain the same as they were as I last remembered. Still as mischievous, lazy and energetic. Some changed a lot, becoming more studious, mature and well-groomed. The most remarkable transformation I seen was this young boy. He was loud, and as playful as a monkey, pulling tricks on the people around him. This time, he is very well-mannered and thoughtful. Less pranks and talks slower, so much so I almost could not recognize him at first. The few of us were wondering what causes the change in him and wanted to ask but we did not.

For the village, there are also some significant changes. The roads/mudtracks are less bumpy. Some houses become larger and better equipped. I heard that in order to build a better shelter, some children would have to forgo their full time studies and study part-time. I guess they made these changes to fulfill their essential and immediate needs.

This trip has created new friendship and bonded existing friendship. The memories I have with them, I will deeply treasure them in my heart.

But I’m very happy to also confess that I’ve donated 20% of it to Mercy Corps, the charity of my choice. This marks the first pledge in my 80/20 Life Coaches Blog Donation Pledge mission! Hurrah!

Strangely enough, I don’t feel proud, instead, I feel a profound sense of gratitude. I’m grateful that I run a site where I can write about what I love, and have people reward me enough that I can give it away to better the world.

Kick-ass.

(Hint: it’s not because I’m fabulously rich!)

3 Big Reasons To Give So You Can Receive

1) Nearly every personal effectiveness coach from Anthony Robbins to Marc Allen recommend it as a method to move you beyond scarcity to abundance thinking.

By giving, you tell your subconscious mind there’s more than enough, and the more you think abundance, the more abundance flows into your life.

I could always use more abundance, couldn’t you?

2) I give because I can. I used to give…at times. Only after I read Peter Singer’s solution to world poverty did I feel that because I could give, I had to, and I started giving a portion of my monthly salary to charity. The following thought experiment by Singer has changed my beliefs, probably for good, don’t read it if you’re not prepared for some hard questions.

Bob is close to retirement. He has invested most of his savings in a very rare and valuable old car, a Bugatti, which he has not been able to insure. The Bugatti is his pride and joy. In addition to the pleasure he gets from driving and caring for his car, Bob knows that its rising market value means that he will always be able to sell it and live comfortably after retirement.

One day when Bob is out for a drive, he parks the Bugatti near the end of a railway siding and goes for a walk up the track. As he does so, he sees that a runaway train, with no one aboard, is running down the railway track. Looking farther down the track, he sees the small figure of a child very likely to be killed by the runaway train.

He can’t stop the train and the child is too far away to warn of the danger, but he can throw a switch that will divert the train down the siding where his Bugatti is parked. Then nobody will be killed — but the train will destroy his Bugatti. Thinking of his joy in owning the car and the financial security it represents, Bob decides not to throw the switch. The child is killed. For many years to come, Bob enjoys owning his Bugatti and the financial security it represents.

Bob’s conduct, most of us will immediately respond, was gravely wrong. Unger agrees. But then he reminds us that we, too, have opportunities to save the lives of children. We can give to organizations like Unicef or Oxfam America. How much would we have to give one of these organizations to have a high probability of saving the life of a child threatened by easily preventable diseases?

(I do not believe that children are more worth saving than adults, but since no one can argue that children have brought their poverty on themselves, focusing on them simplifies the issues.)

Unger called up some experts and used the information they provided to offer some plausible estimates that include the cost of raising money, administrative expenses and the cost of delivering aid where it is most needed. By his calculation, $200 in donations would help a sickly 2-year-old transform into a healthy 6-year-old — offering safe passage through childhood’s most dangerous years.

To show how practical philosophical argument can be, Unger even tells his readers that they can easily donate funds by using their credit card and calling one of these toll-free numbers: (800) 367-5437 for Unicef; (800) 693-2687 for Oxfam America.

Now you, too, have the information you need to save a child’s life. How should you judge yourself if you don’t do it?

Ouch. Not an easy question to answer, is it? I wrestled with it myself for days, and when I brought it up with my friends, heated arguments ensured.

In the end, I believe it’s a personal question you have to answer. But don’t worry, I’m not going to go all high-handed on anyone; there were times when my family and I had trouble making ends meet, then I never gave at all.

But when I read that essay, I could. And knowing that by giving up an extra cup of delicious but extraneous coffee it could make the difference between hunger or a meal for someone, I made the only real choice I could.

3) To change the world. Is there any greater reason?

Why Give And Brag About It?

Simple. I’m not a billionaire with truckloads of money to give. When I started out, I only gave $5 away. But I knew that measly $5 for me was a big amount to someone else in the world who was in need.

What would happen if each of us millions in the developed countries gave just a dollar? If just one more person started giving a dollar today, and she got another person to give another, and another…individually we can do a lot, together we can make an insanely great dent in the universe.

Here’s another thought: you might think you don’t have much to give now, but it’s far easier to give 5% of $100 than $1,000,000.

After I got comfortable with just $5, I started increasing it, up to a point which I wasn’t sure I’d be comfortable with…but guess what happened? I barely missed it, and I felt better with myself for it.

To know that a missed low-fat skimmed milk ice-blended latte with no whipped cream would go towards making a bigger difference in the world is pure and simple joy

How To Start Giving If You Don’t Know How

If you want to start now but don’t know where to begin, Charity Navigator is an independent charity evaluator that can help you make an informed choice.

How To Feed Someone With 1 Click A Day

By now you would’ve seen The Hunger Site’s logo on the right column of Life Coaches Blog. What makes The Hunger Site great is that you don’t have to give any money, their sponsors pay for the food that go toward feeding those who need it, all you have to do is visit…and click.

That’s it.

When I was a poor student, I bookmarked The Hunger Site so it’d be my homepage. Every time I kicked up the browser, I’d click it once. It’s a habit that’s stayed with me for years, across different computers.

If you’d like to help end world hunger every time you come online, it’s a simple step you can do too.

P.S. Watch U2 frontman Bono give a funny, sobering and inspiring talk about the moment his life changed to one of contribution, and why he believes you can make a difference too.

All those weeks of looking forward to my precious holiday, and it looked like I was going to spend the first day a sleep-deprived zombie. You can imagine how I must have felt.

But the moment I stepped home, I saw something that lifted my spirits immediately.

It was a surprise calender gift and letter from Mercy Corps. This is what it said:

Dear Alvin,

Thank you for your generous support of Mercy Corps as an online monthly giving member.

With your help, we are reaching more than 10 million people in 40 countries – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Every day, we assist families in communities faced with some of the most difficult challenges of our time: hunger, lack of economic opportunity, conflict, access to clean water and education.

Your support helps open the doors to a new school, teaches a young mother how to provide good nutrition for her children, and plants a community garden that will feed a village. Together, we are empowering families, rebuilding communities and restoring hope.

As a token of our appreciation, we would like to give you the enclosed calender. Each time you look at it, we hope that you will be reminded of the life-changing difference you are making to individuals and families around the world.

Thank you!

Awwww. Now who wouldn’t feel great knowing your contribution is making a difference to someone else in the world?

In that spirit, I’m pledging 20% of whatever Life Coaches Blogs makes from now on to charity.

Because I believe it’s not just about us, and that those of us who have it better have the chance to give back and help build a better world.

P.S. If you want to start giving too, but don’t know where to start, the independent charity evaluator Charity Navigator is a good place to begin.