You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. – Khalil Gibran
When we are able to give and make a difference in the lives of others, our lives become useful, worthwhile, and happy. When we are unable to make a difference in the lives of others, our own lives become shallow and unhappy.
When we die, all that we have shall be left behind – be it our wealth, health, knowledge, or worldly possessions. We cannot take any of these to our graves.
The Sufi mystics define a rich person as someone who is able to give of his or her time, knowledge, wealth, and good wishes. So someone who may be materially wealthy but unable to give is very poor in the eyes of the Sufi.
The highest form of giving is selfless and unconditional. The best example of unconditional giving is that of a flower which gives its perfume, unasked, to every passer-by. Even when you crush a flower, it still leaves its perfume behind.
Unconditional giving creates abundance in our lives and spreads joy to others. At work when you share your knowledge and guidance with your team, they perform better. If you give to your customers, they become more loyal and invite others to do business with you.
The more freely we give, the more we will have. When we first stop giving, we stop receiving. If we clenched fists, we cannot receive. The moment we open our fists and give, we are also able to receive. This is how the laws of the universe work.
We don’t need wealth to give, we only need a heart. When our hearts are open to giving, abundance in one form or another must surely follow. It is not how much we give that matters, it is thought.
In essence the concepts of rich and poor describe not how much or how little we have, but rather how much or how little we give of ourselves.
Every minute therefore, is an opportunity to give. So let us make sure our presence influences whoever crosses our path for the better, – be it through a smile, a compliment, or a lending hand.