“The secret to living is giving.” – Tony Robbins
Where can I start with giving?
“Give, and it will be given to you. … For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – Luke 6:38
“The Law of Giving is very simple. If you want joy, give joy. If love is what you seek, offer love. If you crave material affluence, help others become prosperous.” – Deepak Chopra
“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.” – Jim Rohn
“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington
“Don’t give to get. Give to inspire others to give.” – Simon Sinek
Giving Hasn’t Always Worked Out
It’s far too easy to think I don’t have enough for myself, so how could I give to anyone else?
It doesn’t help that some previous experiences in giving only served to keep the recipients weak and unable or unwilling to take care of themselves. They were in full learned helplessness mode.
I’ve spent entire years of my life being foolish in my giving. What was that all about? I still don’t know.
I must be wise in my giving. That’s the only way forward, but what does that look like?
I want to give, create, and contribute. At the same time, I fear that my efforts will be unwanted and unhelpful, so I’ve allowed myself to be stuck.
I don’t know where to begin. I’m used to people taking advantage of me because I want to help. They’ve mistaken my kindness for weakness. Hopefully, I’m done with all that. Hopefully, I have healthy boundaries now.
Good thing I’ve got more than hope on my side. I’ve got action and results, too. I’ve been learning to put my interests first.
I must be helpful and generous and also protect myself. Where to begin?
Start Small. Build From There
It doesn’t have to be something big. But it can grow into something big.
For example, Tony Robbins started by giving two families a meal for Thanksgiving. Now, he feeds millions of people every year.
That expansion didn’t happen all at once. It took years, and that’s okay. Sustainable growth in giving is the key here, not necessarily the speed of growth in giving.
I’ve enjoyed donating, and I know I can do so much more.
I have my most basic needs met, but what about those that don’t? Some of our most basic needs are water, food, clothing, and shelter.
Throughout my life, I’ve noticed a catastrophic mismanagement of resources. There is more than enough for everybody on the planet.
Yet the universal solution for clean, pure water is not widely available. Tons of food and clothing are thrown out daily, even though nothing is wrong with them. There is abundant vacant space available – buildings and rooms for shelter.
So much potential wasted for so long, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Shelter, for example, could be provided for homeless people and others in need.
The Universal Need for Shelter
Shelter. Affordable housing is a universal need. But housing prices are soaring in many parts of the world, including where I live. The homeless population has increased.
What is the homeless solution? Give them homes. Yes, give. Not sell. Give. This generosity is a much lower cost than the increased hospital visits and other costs associated with homelessness.
People who end up being homeless, temporarily or permanently, aren’t getting all the help they need. Yes, they are responsible for what happens to them, but it isn’t only about them. The poverty mindset, including the idea of being powerless, is not limited to homeless people. It infects many of us, too, who have shelter – a place to live.
It goes back to what I mentioned at the beginning, and I know I’m not the only one who has had this thought. It’s the idea of not having enough for survival and the thought that there isn’t enough available to give. The mental virus of poverty is global.
The Antidote for the Mental Virus of Poverty
The abundance mindset must be widespread. It must be common. How do we spread the abundance mindset?
We must develop it first in ourselves. We can do this by giving whatever we can.
This reminds me of a specific time when I was donating items. I was minimizing my possessions and being grateful for the opportunity to give. I said about those who would receive those practical items that: “They need these things more than I do.”
I felt relieved, humble, and wealthy when I said that. Life really is about giving. Sure, it feels great to receive, but doesn’t it also feel great to give?
I’m not saying that one is better than the other. Both giving and receiving are necessary. I especially like the comparison that the book “The Go-Giver” makes between the two. Here it is:
We all need to breathe, both in and out. Receiving is like inhaling, and giving is like exhaling.
We must receive so that we can give. Give to ourselves and give to others.
Life is incomplete if we only receive or if we only give. Lacking either one can be fatal. We could be physically dead or dead inside. Thankfully, there is a way out.
Conclusion
Maybe you’re stuck like I am and don’t know what to give or who to give to. Maybe you think that you don’t even have enough for yourself.
I invite myself and you to be so determined to give that we make sure to do it, no matter what. With wisdom, with gratitude, and with power. We are greater than we think, stronger than we know, and more powerful than we realize.
Here’s to spreading abundance and being surprised with how much we really have. Here’s to us growing rich in giving.
Where will you start with giving? What is most exciting about that for you? Let me know in the comments section below. I welcome hearing from some very generous people.
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Until next time,
James Barnett
