Isn’t it what life is all about? The power of giving is life changing and gives you a feeling you cannot get anywhere else. No amount of money can give you this feeling – You cannot buy it. When we talk about giving, most people think of giving money, but there is so much more that you can give. You don’t need money to give, you just need the willingness to give and then act upon it. You can give someone a smile, a helping hand, a compliment, your time, your friendship, words of advice/consolation, etc.
Giving makes you feel good. It has to come from a genuine place though. You cannot truly reap the benefits if you are giving with the expectations of something in return. Give unconditionally. Anytime is a good time to give. Make it a daily habit to give someone a compliment. As for money, don’t wait until you have loads and loads of money. Give a little bit now and don’t act out of scarcity. You must give in order to receive. I truly believe this.
One act of kindness can go a long way. When you brighten up someone else’s day, it has second and third order effects on the other people that they interact with and the ripple effect continues to spread.
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Kahlil Gibran
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. – Dalai Lama
Giving makes you feel better about yourself, connects you with that person in a special way, makes the world a better place, improves the life of another, and once you improve their life a little, they might pass that new positive energy to everyone they meet.
A few examples:
Give genuine compliments! It’s amazing how far 1 compliment can go. You can brighten someone’s day or even their entire week with a meaningful compliment. More compliments, less gossip.
Smile and be friendly. Be sincere when you interact with them.
Volunteer at a charity. Look them up and make a call. The experience will give you as much (or more) as the person you are helping.
Give stuff away that you don’t use to someone in need or a donation center. It will also help you de-clutter your house/apartment.
Donate. Make sure you do research on who to give to because there are a lot of charities that keep more overhead than I am comfortable with.
Lend a helping hand when you see someone in need. Don’t turn your head and pretend you don’t see that person struggling to carry bags or fix a flat tire. Consider giving the homeless man on the corner some food.
Help someone get motivated to take action. Do you know someone who needs to register for college classes, get in shape, or get involved in a community, but they are hesitant? Help them get there physically and emotionally.
Comfort and be nice to people. Most aggressive/rude people are usually that way because they haven’t had enough love and affection in their life. Show them there is another way.
Don’t be afraid to help loners, outcasts, etc. If you see warning signs, talk to them. Ask how how they are doing (not in the arbitrary “Hey, how’s it going?” way. Really ask them, several times. Get to know them and they may open up. Often times people feel overwhelmed when they don’t have someone close to talk to and express their feelings. And if someone is suicidal, call a suicide hotline and seek a professional. The one at their wits end may not understand that whatever is going on in their life is just their current situation. Situations and conditions change. Suicide is never the answer.
Sometimes people need someone to talk to. Just be there fully and listen to them. Let them vent. Don’t let them continue complaining for too long and victimize themselves. Let them vent and help them move on.