You may have much to give, or you may have only a little to give. The key to the power of giving is giving to your potential. The first step toward reaching your potential is determining what you have that could be of value to others. You may have more than you think.
First, you should assess what your skills, abilities, and resources are. They could include time, money, or the ability to organize a fundraising event, or they could be more intangible, like love, wisdom, and attention. It may be that random acts of kindness are all that you can give at this point in your life. Offering neighbors vegetables from your garden is a great gift, as is calling a distant relative just to say hello, or learning juggling so you can entertain kids. Giving doesn’t have to cost a lot in time or money.
Keep in mind that your actions have implications, usually positive, beyond your original gift. The recipient of your extra carrots may think, “I can share my surplus with others, too,” just as the distant relative may be inspired by your thoughtful gesture to connect with others. Kindness is a wonderful form of giving.
This ability to stimulate others to give was dramatized in the movie Pay It Forward (adapted from Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novel). This movie is about a seventh grade student who, while completing a school assignment, comes up with a concept that could actually change the world. The concept: One person will perform three acts of kindness. Rather than expecting the three people given assistance to pay him or her back for the kindness, the person will ask them to “pay it forward.” These people will each help three more people in whatever way they can. If each person helps three others every day for two weeks straight, 4,782,969 people will benefit from the original act of giving of just one person.
This movie inspired the creation of the Pay It Forward Foundation, which was established to educate and inspire young children, letting them know that they can change the world and providing them with opportunities to do so.
Lets look at some of the things you can give to others:
- Love
- Laughter
- Knowledge
- Leadership
- Hope
- Life
- Time
- Money
- Skills
- Health
- Touch
- Attention
- Advice
So give a little of yourself today and experience the expansion of your spirit and life.