Choose To Give With A Carefree Spirit

When I was at a very young age, my mother and grandmother taught me about sharing, that there was more joy in giving than receiving. I did not understand that concept at first. Why would I want to give away something I had that I enjoyed having?

That was until I saw the homeless man on the street. I was probably 4 years old then. My grandmother always taught by example. The expression on his face was priceless when Grandma offered him some money. He did not have to say a word, and his heart-felt gratitude was written all over his face. The ability to stir up joy and gratitude of someone else – that is more than enough for me to share and to give.

Now as a mid-life adult, I often think of ways I can give or serve others. True giving is not an obligation. True giving is out of free will. Imagine yourself as a little kid and you have some candies. Your Mom asked you to share with your younger brother. You did not want to share because you wanted to enjoy every single piece of candy you owned. Yet you have to obey your Mom. So you reluctantly and somewhat unwillingly give away some of your candies.

How does that feel? When you are focusing on what you originally have and think that you are being stripped of something, you feel empty, possibly resentful. You do not experience the joy of giving. If you focus on giving someone else the same excitement and content you have, giving or sharing is far more rewarding. You also get to build a special bond with the person you are sharing with.

We have a lot to give, a lot to share in this world. The more we give, the more capacity we have to offer.

To give without obligation, to give without expectations, to give without feeling you are losing something. We get to choose to give with a carefree spirit. We get to decide how we want to give, what we want to give. As we are serving the world, we can offer what we like to offer, and share what we are good at.

The prerequisite to carefree giving is to be filled with gratitude. Gratitude in all circumstances. Gratitude is energizing. It is a powerful and solid motivator to share what you have and to contribute to the world your unique perspective. I am ready and am excited to give this way. Are you ready to give with a carefree spirit?