On Giving
How many people think about the various types of ‘giving’ when you read sentences with the word ‘giving’ in them? Do you think that we associate ‘giving’ only with the ‘giving’ of gifts and things? I would imagine this to be true especially in the month of December and Christmas, albeit it being a Christian celebration, it literally envelops the globe with material types of giving.
We can however, give:
Time, money, personal or business resources and expertise, service, knowledge, sex, creativity, physical strength (acts of service), spiritual strength (prayer, charity), mental strength (teaching or cognitive understanding), and emotional strength (listening, advising).
Most people will give because there’s a need or cause they wish to support, or something they want to own, and most will do this to fulfill something inside themselves or for some reason known only to themselves. There’s nothing wrong or right with any of this but every now and then it’s such a breath of fresh air to receive any one of these gifts of giving out of the blue, with no agenda attached.
How about focusing on giving of yourself more often; I think I’d be correct in saying that these acts wouldn’t necessarily be premeditated or planned well in advance.
What does it mean to give of yourself:
To devote oneself selflessly to a task, giving generously of time and effort without any thought of receiving in return. It means placing the needs of others in a place of importance over what are normally self-centred thoughts and actions.
Over-giving on the other hand isn’t selfless. It usually means you’re giving in the hopes of receiving, feeling good about yourself, feeling appreciated, or morally fulfilled. Giving of yourself means self-sacrifice, disregarding your own personal gain.
Think about where you could voluntarily give to another or just wait for an opportunity that arises spontaneously and don’t wait to see whether it gets any reaction. Remember that giving hands and receiving hands are one and the same action. That’s powerful.
“When my client has learned to answer their own questions, my job is done”.
Need to know more? WhatsApp on +27823740940 or email on barbara@barbarascogings.com to book a complimentary 20-minute session to discuss this in more detail.