So here we are – the first week of The Plunge. So what will it be?

Every week you will be challenged to at least three different plunges. They could be everything from a spiritual plunge to a kindness plunge – but they will all challenge you to live choosing joy – making every day the best day ever. Small changes lead to big changes. So taking these little steps will encourage you to take bigger steps as you focus on what is important in life. The idea of The Plunge is throwing ourselves into life and making it matter. Sometimes, I will give you an extra plunge – but of course, I have no way of knowing if you’ve jumped in to try them or not. This is for YOU. You can choose what you want to focus on every week – but just make it the BEST WEEK EVER! I hope that these posts will provide you with encouragement throughout the week as you CHOOSE to live in EPIC ways!

This is the week everyone focuses on gratitude. Thanksgiving. We eat lots of food, spend time with family, and share our thanksgiving around a table so laden with delicacies we could feed a small nation. First world problem: being too full after we stuff ourselves with too much food. So, let’s start simple:

PLUNGE #1: Just eat until you are satisfied at Thanksgiving dinner.

Don’t over eat. It’s really not necessary to go overboard. Then you won’t feel guilty afterward. If you want to go the extra mile, check out Feeding America. You can launch a virtual food drive from the comfort of your own chair! The point is to REALIZE that there are many who won’t be eating well at Thanksgiving, and it’s important to recognize how blessed we are.

Now, your temptation is going to be to say that it’s only the holidays and Thanksgiving only comes once a year. But how do you feel come January when you are setting new exercise goals? You are wishing you wouldn’t have blown it during the holidays. If you plan AHEAD of time to only eat until you are satisfied, you’re preparing and setting yourself up for success.

PLUNGE #2: Make BLACK Friday into RAK Friday

All of my experiences with Black Friday have involved being pushed, prodded, cut off, and well, let’s just say people don’t show their best sides when they have one singular goal: getting that gift on blue light special before anyone else does. So the second plunge for this week is to do a Random Act of Kindness on BLACK Friday. If you’re not a shopper, then you can still do an act of kindness. Need some ideas? Well, I’m SO GLAD YOU ASKED!

1. Visit the Random Acts of Kindness website – they have lots of ideas.
2. Head on over to one of my favorite kindness blog/websites: Kind Over Matter. They have lots of printables you can leave with your act of kindness.
3. Finally, there is a specific list of Black Friday acts of kindness at this blog. Really, it could simply start with a smile, thanking the workers, saying something kind to other shoppers.
4. If you do an act of kindness, snap a photo and share on social media with the hashtag #RAKFriday OR share it on this blog! I would love to hear what you did!
5. PLUNGE PLUS: Actually strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know – make his/her day a little brighter by being the sunshine they need.

PLUNGE #3: Dance.

Now, some of you are going to say that you can’t dance, won’t dance, or just DON’T dance. But I’m not saying you have to choreograph a full routine! My freshmen English students love to “Drive the Bus,” which is a YouTube video that guides you through all kinds of fun dances. There’s just something about being silly that helps you shake off the stress of the holiday, the doldrums of the work week, or the frustration that’s built up when the kids don’t clean up their rooms. So – here are some ideas for your plunge to “dance it off” this week:

1. Dance in the shower – turn the music up and sing at the top of your lungs. Now, dancing requires moving your body a bit, so be careful that you don’t cause injury to yourself. This could cause great distress.
2. Dance with your kids – they will love it. Turn up the music and full out do the twist or country line dance. Watch them giggle when you let loose. And I don’t just mean little kids – teenagers or adult children will love this, too. Dance together.
3. Dance in the car – if you’re REALLY brave, turn up the music in your car and then dance at stop lights. Don’t be afraid to make eye contact with the cars around you. You might just make their days a little brighter with your off the wall dance techniques.
4. It doesn’t matter HOW and WHEN you dance, just be sure to dance this week. And don’t just “kinda” dance. Go all out. Like these people or these guys or this guy.

The Spiritual Plunge:

I am a FIRM believer that everything in our lives is spiritual. When we compartmentalize food, work, family, kindness, or dancing and separate it from our spiritual walk, we’re making a big mistake. Everything is connected.

You are praising Him when you choose to omit excessive eating and take care of your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says,

“…do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

You are praising Him when you do kindness for others. Matthew 25:35 says this:

34“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’…

And what can I say? David danced before the Lord. Joy unspeakable and living life to the fullest. In 2 Samuel 6:21, David says he CELEBRATED before the Lord. When we celebrate, we are being thankful for the life He’s given us.

Today really IS the best day ever. You just have to CHOOSE it.

Oh! And to celebrate the best Thanksgiving ever, here is a fantastic blog post by Ann Voskamp (one of my faves). It is called “Why Thanksgiving is Radically Subversive and Everything You Need to Have the Best Thanksgiving Yet.” It sounds like Ann is ready to take The Plunge.

Let me know how you do in the comments below. In order to receive The Plunge directly to your email inbox, sign up to receive e-mail notifications of this blog. And please share this post! Invite your friends to take The Plunge! It’s NEVER too late! Let’s do this together!

If you haven’t signed up to officially be a “Plunger,” go here to sign up!