I love Christmas!  In the spirit of this glorious celebration we see the best in people come out... donations, altruism, many acts of kindness...       

"Adopt A Family", feed the poor, etc.   Here is an idea:  why not use this Christmas as a springboard for a year-long commitment, which will hopefully parlay into a lifelong commitment to making this World just a little bit better?  Instead of adopting a family at Christmas, adopt a family for 2008!  Help only those who want to help themselves, teach them how to fish, instead of bringing them "fish", etc. 

Daryl, a good friend of mine was given a book by one of his teachers upon his graduation.  On the inside cover, the teacher wrote a single paragraph about how he thought Daryl was very special and destined to accomplish great things in life.   Daryl read that book cover to cover many times over (it was a motivational/inspirational book).   He believes that book taught him a lot and credits it with a large portion of his success.  To this day, that book means a lot to Daryl, who did go on and accomplished great things, just as his teacher had predicted.  That little act of kindness may have changed the direction of Daryl's life.

Little acts of kindness can make a world of difference in someone's life.   Don't ever underestimate the power of a simple, well intended, small act of kindness.   In the spirit of Christmas, practice random acts of kindness throughout 2008!