I’ll be honest…
I wanted to start this blog with a quote that I had written down after listening to a book a few years back but after rummaging through my stuff and scouring the internet for 30 minutes, I’ve come up empty handed.
So let me do my best to see what I can remember from memory as it’s been several years since I last read the quote but to this day I still live by its principles.
It goes something like this:
“In order to receive, I must first give. In order to live in abundance, I must first give abundantly. In order to be loved, I must love others first.”
Wow!
What a powerful quote and here’s what’s even crazier about this theory of giving to receive. ..
IT WORKS!!!
When I heard this quote 4 years ago it completely changed my life.
From that day forward my life became a life of service to others and even today, I try to remind myself to be the delight of someone else’s day because I’ve seen the law of reciprocation work first hand.
Don’t believe me?
The proof (my proof)
Here's just one of the many examples I have in my life where I gave first and received later as a consequence of my giving.
Almost exactly one year ago, I started giving my time to The Purposeful Living Healing Center (PLHC) twice a week.
As you know, I post new blogs every Wednesday and Sunday for the PLHC website but what you probably didn’t know is that I have been doing all this for free the entire time.
Why do I spend to 3 to 4 hours a week giving my time away?
To be honest, I do it because it feels good!
I’ve always wanted to teach, and Leigh has been gracious enough to give me the platform to teach to her audience twice a week!
My cup is completely filled anytime I get feedback from you so in some ways, giving my time has helped give me a purpose.
In truth, I only write these blogs for YOU!
I don’t write them for myself, but I do indeed benefit from hearing how my blogs impact the people they reach—so win, win.
Seriously, don’t feel bad for me or think I’m wasting hours of my life without getting anything in return because that’s not how I see it!
The way I see it, by giving simply out of the kindness of my heart, I’M the one who WINS!
I’m the one who is beaming with happiness to know I can help other people!
I’m the one whose soul feels clean and pure because my actions are benevolent!
I’m the one who has been fortunate enough to have met dozens of amazing people through the “charity” I’ve given.
I’m the one who goes to bed at night and rests easy because I know my actions have in some small way made this world a better place!
I’m the one who feels like I’ve received MOST from my giving.
The catch
Ahhh there’s always a catch isn’t there…
Now, before you go out there and start passing out hundred dollar bills to strangers there is a small yet profound catch to the magic of giving.
When you give, you GIVE.
Meaning, when you give someone your time, your effort or perhaps even your company, you do it without expectations of the ol’ “You owe me one.”
Giving for the sake of getting usually doesn’t work out too well…
The truth is, when you give to someone you can’t expect anything in return because the universe doesn’t reward those who give as a means to end.
Instead, you must give wholeheartedly. You must give and never look back. You must give for the sake of giving because there is serious power in helping others in a way that doesn’t require any future favors.
Trust me, you will know the difference between giving to give and giving to get.
Something inside you will feel wrong if you’re giving to get, and something inside you will feel incredibly right if you are giving out of the kindness of your heart.
The key to giving is in the intention, so make sure your intentions are right before you start to share your gifts with the world.
Conclusion
Giving back to other people has literally changed my life and my hope is that after reading this blog you will be brave enough to give a part of yourself to this world as well.
The awesome thing about giving is that it’s not a one-way street. If you give your time and yourself to someone else, life will be sure to pay you back in bigger ways than you could have ever imagined.
The magic of giving big doesn’t happen overnight, but just like anything else in this life worth doing, it takes time. When it happens, your life could change in ways you never could have dreamed of.
Thank you as always for reading this week’s blog post. We hope you enjoyed this gift and we would love to hear your stories of giving.
Drop us a comment or leave us a note to let us know how giving to someone else has opened up doors in your life for growth and happiness.
Until next time,
Many many blessings