Everyone has read or listened to the idea that the more we giveth more we’ll receive. A statement which does have merit, although, as many ‘givers’ will bare testament giving does not always mean you’ll receive anything in return.
Many will reply ‘Yes, but this is not why I give’: without a doubt if this is the sentiment, one has already received an inner-reward beyond gold. I love to give, and the rewarding feeling of being generous is inwardly satisfying. And people remember the gift and if they become aware of the sense of ‘receiving’, they will know they can make a difference in people’s lives.
I like gifting something which I have owned and used. I gave away a MacBook and love to hear about it still being used. On Friday, February 17th 2017 (date from journal entry) I gave a student an expensive 35mm camera: I’m pretty good at assessing people, and this girl did not have much money. Therefore it seemed essential she’d owned a camera which would not waste film. With film costing upward of five pounds a roll: if she were spending and wasting money on film: she’d soon become tired with photography. Her face was great to see ‘Why?’ she asked ‘Because I can, and I like to give someone a good memory. Every time you pick up that camera, you’ll know the feeling of generosity. One thing though’ ‘What’s that?’ ‘Give it away when you’ve finished with it’.
Six months later she turned up at the stall ‘Have a look at my images’. Goodness, the photographs were amazing, tightly cropped, immaculately printed and presented in her portfolio. And the variation of subjects demonstrated she was a photojournalist in every meaning of the word. You see pictures speak better than words. ‘So you’ll be buying something better than you Nikkormat and 50mm lens?’ ‘No, I do not need another camera or lens. I’m done with film photography: I’m a Fuji camera girl now!’ I already knew the answer, but I asked the question ‘Will you keep your Nikon?’ ‘Forever, it’s my magic camera, my lucky charm: everything changed after you gave me my camera’. She purchased £30:00 worth of crystals and incense: she has not returned.
An astute reader will have observed the critical aspect of the recollection: ‘Will you keep your Nikon?’ ‘Forever, it’s my magic camera, my lucky charm: everything changed after you gave me my camera’. You see, when you give something to someone, even a stranger, the gift can turn their lives around. Who cares about the psychological aspects of the act: the only element which matters is the outcome.
I have a good friend who is a Tarot reader. She does not work for money. She likes to read Tarot cards for friends and sometimes strangers. And she has an uncanny gift for Tarot interpretation. I asked her why she doesn’t charge for her consultations. ‘I like to give, and this rewards me more than money. And many of the people read for haven’t any money, so the exchange would for me be ‘negative’. I know a few of her friends, and they love her to pieces and extol her tarot abilities. You see, gifts do not have to be material; they can be skills.
All of you will have something that is never used or bought in hast and useless to you: why not consider offering it as a gift on your social media page? Imagine the feeling of making a stranger happy? Now imagine the feeling of receiving a gift from a stranger. Anne Frank wrote: ‘No one ever became poor from giving’ and many know this to be true.
Making Someone Happy is Amazing
Many times I’ve listened to ‘I cannot afford to give anything away’, and every time my reply is: ‘Have you ever considered the reason you have nothing is that you give nothing?’ A response which always receives a blank look: the mean usually cannot hear very well: we wonder why?
Giving can mean the difference between happiness and depression, laughter or tears, sleep or insomnia. To rescue a stranger or help them from a place of darkness is an act of the highest good. No, you may never be rewarded with a jackpot lotto win. Your dying friend may not become a miracle, and the job you crave is still elusive. However, your inner-being is rewarded, and inner happiness is the key to happiness.
Have a look-see around your home:
- See something you think a stranger of friend would like.
- Think about well-being feelings when receiving a gift. If you wish to be a little esoteric: send some wealthy vibes and feelings right into the core of the item.
- Take a snapshot with your phone and put the picture on a social media stream with a message ‘Who Would like this gift?’
Do something BIG today: make someone happy.
The Heart of the Mind 