"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." ~ Mahatma Gandhi.
All of us have wants.
- We want to go to good schools and we want the latest gadgets to make our lives easier.
- We want success.
- We want good health.
- We want great relationships.
- And we want to be happy.
Do you find that you've become so caught up in working towards these goals that the joy of giving may have diminished in your life? If that's the case...
Here are 7 Reasons Why You May Want to Re-Ignite the Desire to Give.
1. Giving helps others.
If you're blessed with the means to live a reasonably comfortable way of life (meaning, if you're able to read this), you have the ability to give.
The world outside can be a dark place, and those who have little or nothing depend on the generosity and loving-kindness of people with a giving spirit.
When you give to the less fortunate, you add to their lives - and by adding to theirs, you add to yours too.
Giving is not a zero sum game. The more you give the more you have.
2. Giving inspires giving.
People who have been on the receiving end of kindness to pay it forward and give to others even when they have hardly anything to give.
Perpetuating the cycle of giving makes the world a better, more humane place to live in. Be a good role-model for people around you, especially the young who are feeling entitled to recieve whatever they want.
3. Giving teaches responsibility.
When you give, you may have to make sacrifices.
If you feel the urge to donate to a desperate cause regardless of your own financial standing, you learn how to do without certain things so that you can make the donation.
Perhaps you'll watch your spending habits, or you'll be more frugal for the month. And you'll realize you don't need that much in your life to be happy.
Sometimes less trully is more.
4. Giving cultivates self-worth.
You may be giving for a selfish reason - you'll feel good about yourself.
Even so, the effects of your kindness on others are purley positive and you can both bask in the joy that giving brings to those you've helped
.
There's nothing wrong with feeling proud of your generosity and using that to spur you on to further acts of kindness in the future. It's a good way to start believing in yourself.
5. Giving makes you happy.
Seeing the smiles, gratitude and expressions of hope on the faces of those you are kind to makes the act of giving worthwhile.
Even research suggests that giving leads to greater happiness for the giver. In numerous studies, scientists found that those who spent money on others even though they had the option to spend the money on themselves were happier.
6. Giving does make a difference.
No matter how much or how little you can give, you have the power to touch the life of another person and you can affect them in ways you may never completely be aware of.
It's easy to be cynical today and to think that the help that you can offer is negligible, but it only takes a small gesture of kindness to change someone else’s life.
7. Giving is easy.
There's so much that you can give.
- You can give your time.
- You can give your warmth and friendship.
- You can give a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on.
- And, of course, you can give materially.
Whatever you decide to give, know that a pure spirit and a generous heart can be your own path to real happiness.
We live in a world where not everyone is as fortunate as their neighbour. If you're able, give to others.
- You'll contribute to making the world a nicer place.
- You’ll make the lives of the less fortunate better.
- And you’ll brighten your own soul too.
