Giving always seems a very simple thing to do; however, it’s not as easy as it sounds, especially when you feel that you are giving something that you might lack, such as love or money. When you possess a lack mentality, it almost seems impossible to give. You ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” and feel resentful rather than open hearted and good about it.
Life is about giving, and giving one of the many things that should be done unconditionally and with no expectation of return. If you give away what you feel you lack, but give it anyway from an open heart, then you’ll receive more stuff to feel good about, which results in more giving.
Life is meant to feel good, so I’ve come up with 10 points to help make giving feel good again!
1. Make giving a choice rather than a chore
When giving feels false or forced it can make you feel used, taken for granted, or worse—resentful. All of these feelings do little for the soul and are hardly ways to make giving feel good. Like many things in life—getting up on a Monday morning, for example—when you’ve got to do something rather than it being a conscious choice, it can make it that little bit harder.
So when you’re giving, make it a choice rather than something you feel you have to do. If it’s up to you and you’ve decided when, how and who you are going to give to, it’s going to make you feel more excited about it and you’ll want to do it again and again!
2. Give a little but give often
Giving is a wonderful feeling, especially when you can give little amounts often. It is far better to give what you can than stretch yourself and give a lot in one go. To make giving feel good, it’s wise to start small then build it up as you go along. It’s great to see what you give as you give it, seeing the progress made step by step.
3. Giving encourages others to give too
Have you ever given someone a hug only to have them hug you back, or paid for a cup of coffee only for a cup of coffee to be paid for and gifted to you? When you give it’s a bit like yawning, it becomes contagious. The only difference is that the person you give to may not always be the one to give back. However, the receiving will be returned, either by someone else or through another gift. Giving opens people’s eyes to the magical feeling it can bring, a satisfaction like no other and that can be repeated time and time again.
4. Giving can make a massive impact on the world
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of giving when you see the impact one gift can make. It can impact on just one person, an entire community or even the planet. To make giving feel good and to see the difference you can make is one of the best feelings ever. Seeing a poor person smile, a child learning to read or a dog being given a new home can change a bad day to a very good day indeed.
5. Giving can make you appreciate all that you have
When you give, it’s normally to help another who is lacking in some way. It can be because there is a lack of money, lack of love, lack of shelter or perhaps a lack of food. Whichever circumstance it might be, when you see how others suffer it can make you look at your life in a whole new light. When you see others in need, giving to them what you already have can make giving feel good because you appreciate what you have a whole lot more.
6. Giving more of something you wish to receive
It’s amazing how giving love, money, kindness or other such luxuries can make you feel good, especially when you feel somewhat lacking in those things. When you give with an open heart and no expectation the very things you would love to receive, you will receive them back and more so. If you want to receive more money, then give your own money away—be generous and make it a pleasure to give.
7. Giving help to connect with others
When you give it creates a special kind of bond between you and the person or thing you are giving to. It can create an unspoken connection of gratitude, love and compassion, especially if the receiver of your gift finds it hard to express how they feel. Connection is what gives many a purpose in life, that amazing feeling of being understood by another and knowing that you are not alone. Give to connect and you will always feel good!
8. Give anonymously and reap the rewards of doing so
The gift of giving is very special, even more so when you expect nothing from it, not even a thank-you. When you give anonymously there is no expectation at all, other than that you’ll feel good about yourself and about life. This is the ultimate gift of giving because there is no ulterior motive or conditional expectation; you are giving because you can and you want to.
9. Giving makes life beautiful
Life is beautiful; especially when you put others’ wants and needs before your own. You’ll understand that there are greater things than just what makes you happy, and being mindful of that will make giving feel good. You’ll see life through other people’s eyes and see how making their lives better through giving makes life beautiful.
10. Giving gives you a purpose in life
Ever feel like there’s something missing in your life, or do you ever wonder why you were put on this planet? When you make a habit of giving back, it will instill a sense of purpose in your life and make you wonder why you never started it years ago! It’s only as you grow that you realize what matters in life, that there are other things to consider and to do whilst you live this one and only life. A purpose will make you leap out of bed in the mornings, eager to get on with the day and give it your all. So give like you’ve never given before!
Featured photo credit: Give me love/ Lara Von Lion via flickr.com
