- Home
- Personal Development
- Pathways to Spirituality & Positive Change: Genuine Giving
Pathways to Spirituality & Positive Change: Genuine Giving
- By Laura Speek
- Published 02/11/2010
- Personal Development
- Unrated
Our society has many gift-giving occasions: holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations, Mother's and Father's days, the list goes on. There can be so many "giving" opportunities that it's easy to become uninspired, even resentful, of fulfilling them.
But genuine giving, that is, giving from the heart with no expectations attached, is a win-win practice that truly benefits both the person who gives and the person who receives. It's a wonderful positive change strategy to help you get out of yourself and deepen your spiritual connection with the universe.
Do you practice genuine giving? Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you shop for gifts that will make you look fabulous and generous?
Do you give out of a sense of obligation or guilt?
Is your giving motivated by what you'll receive in return?
Do you over-give as a way of making yourself feel better?
In effect, is your giving all about you?
Genuine giving involves putting concentrated energy into looking at someone else's needs and perspectives. What can you do that would be most helpful to them?
Often, the most important gifts aren't the ones that come wrapped in beautiful packages, but the ones that come from a sincere effort to show love and support. Consider these ideas:
1. Do you know someone who is struggling with young children? An offer to babysit might be the best gift you could give to this parent.
2. Take time to visit someone who is elderly or ill. Or simply take some goodies to a nursing home or shelter.
3. Actively participate in a food or clothing drive.
4. Go out of your comfort zone and personally meet a new neighbor.
5. Do you know someone who's just created a website or is starting a new business? Visit their site, read their materials, and send them some encouraging feedback.
6. Reconnect with an old friend with a phone call, card or e-mail. Check your FaceBook account to spark your memory.
7. Greet or compliment a perfect stranger. A simple smile to someone in the parking lot, elevator or check-out line is a wonderful way to start a positive energy exchange.
8. Make an unexpected cash donation to a special child in your life. Don't overlook nieces, nephews or the college student next door. Did someone ever slip you an extra ten or twenty dollars out of the blue? How did it make you feel?
It's okay to give to yourself! In fact, giving to yourself helps you stay in balance and recharges your batteries so you can continue to give genuinely to others. Make sure you schedule special treats and "me time" on a regular basis. Get massages, take walks, dine at a favorite restaurant... do whatever makes you feel relaxed and refreshed.
Genuine giving is a time-honored pathway to making positive changes in yourself and in the world around you. Strengthen your spirituality and reap the benefits of giving "for fun and for free." What will you give today?
But genuine giving, that is, giving from the heart with no expectations attached, is a win-win practice that truly benefits both the person who gives and the person who receives. It's a wonderful positive change strategy to help you get out of yourself and deepen your spiritual connection with the universe.
Do you practice genuine giving? Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you shop for gifts that will make you look fabulous and generous?
Do you give out of a sense of obligation or guilt?
Is your giving motivated by what you'll receive in return?
Do you over-give as a way of making yourself feel better?
In effect, is your giving all about you?
Genuine giving involves putting concentrated energy into looking at someone else's needs and perspectives. What can you do that would be most helpful to them?
Often, the most important gifts aren't the ones that come wrapped in beautiful packages, but the ones that come from a sincere effort to show love and support. Consider these ideas:
1. Do you know someone who is struggling with young children? An offer to babysit might be the best gift you could give to this parent.
2. Take time to visit someone who is elderly or ill. Or simply take some goodies to a nursing home or shelter.
3. Actively participate in a food or clothing drive.
4. Go out of your comfort zone and personally meet a new neighbor.
5. Do you know someone who's just created a website or is starting a new business? Visit their site, read their materials, and send them some encouraging feedback.
6. Reconnect with an old friend with a phone call, card or e-mail. Check your FaceBook account to spark your memory.
7. Greet or compliment a perfect stranger. A simple smile to someone in the parking lot, elevator or check-out line is a wonderful way to start a positive energy exchange.
8. Make an unexpected cash donation to a special child in your life. Don't overlook nieces, nephews or the college student next door. Did someone ever slip you an extra ten or twenty dollars out of the blue? How did it make you feel?
It's okay to give to yourself! In fact, giving to yourself helps you stay in balance and recharges your batteries so you can continue to give genuinely to others. Make sure you schedule special treats and "me time" on a regular basis. Get massages, take walks, dine at a favorite restaurant... do whatever makes you feel relaxed and refreshed.
Genuine giving is a time-honored pathway to making positive changes in yourself and in the world around you. Strengthen your spirituality and reap the benefits of giving "for fun and for free." What will you give today?
Laura Speek
Laura Speek is the creator of Journals for Positive Change, a unique series of "guided journals" to promote personal growth. Her experience in wellness and self-transformation support her valuable insights and highly effective self-improvement strategies. Send an email.
View all articles by Laura Speek