Joy of Giving…Part 2

In response to the last post on Joy of Giving, here is what a few friends had to say:

Beautiful video
The joy of giving is the greatest joy
It inspired me to look for ways to give
I realized that we can give in small ways, too
It is the desire to give that is more important than what you give
Do a good deed and you will always get something good in return

Overall, the video appears to have generated a feeling of positivity. Hopefully, it has also inspired you to do your bit to give. 

                           

Why giving is good for you
Often, we are full of what we want for ourselves – a better job, a bigger salary, a happier family, smoother relationships, a bigger house, a better car, a vacation to an exotic location….the list is endless. And as we strive and plod to achieve the next item on our wish list, it is so easy to lose track of the wonderful gifts we already possess….things that so many people are not fortunate enough to have. 

Helping someone has the obvious benefit of making a difference to them; but have you ever thought of how it can affect you?

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• It helps you appreciate your situation better. It makes you grateful for all you are lucky to have. You stop cribbing about your problems – real and imagined. Your focus shifts from what you don’t have to what you do have. 
• As you begin feeling gratitude, the Law ofAttraction kicks in. The positive feelings generated in your mind draw in more positivity into your life, putting you on the path to greater satisfaction, joy and peace.
•   Giving is a good deed; so it helps you build good karma. 

(If you find this last point contentious because Sanatan Dharma says the ultimate aim of human life is to attain liberation – Moksha – and not build good karma – Punya – you’re actually right, but talking of it here will be a digression from the main theme of this post, so I will reserve that for another time)

So, go ahead and give what you can

• Be liberal with a smile, a compliment, an apology
• Hold a door open, help carry a heavy bag, pick up a dropped item, help someone cross the road 
• Teach a skill to someone who can use it
• Donate money or food, toys, books, shoes, clothes and furniture (in good condition) to charity 
• Lend an ear or a shoulder to someone in trouble or pain

   Stop wondering about what difference you can make. Every single one of your acts can make someone’s world a better place, one tiny bit at a time.

And as you seek to give, cultivate the right spirit in giving. As Swami Vivekananda writes, “Do not stand on a high pedestal and take five cents in your hand and say, ‘Here, my poor man’; but be grateful that the poor man is there, so that by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself. It is not the receiver that is blessed, but it is the giver. Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become pure and perfect.”