The season of giving. I never fully understood that concept. On a brisk morning in late November we flip the switch on this dormant ability to give to others, to give of ourselves. Only to shut it down in late December.
The premise is that giving brings joy. Joy to the world. Joy to ourselves. It’s what makes us feel good. To participate in the flow of life.
But it only lasts for so long. Thirty days, give or take. From turkey day until Claus squeezes down the chimney. That’s when the giving spirit lifts and we go back to acting like we have nothing to give. And we’ll be darned if we actually give something without receiving something in return.
So we rest our giving muscles until everyone else is ready and willing to trade. Until the return on investment is guaranteed. Because that seems fair.
I know, it’s kind of a pessimistic way to look at the holiday season. To be clear, I love the holidays just as much as the rest of us. However, my point is that the spirit of giving knows no season. The feeling of joy is not an emotion to be experienced for one month out of twelve.
The joy of giving can be a year-round event.
This year, I decided to do something different. Usually, I’d be locked in on a financial goal for the year. All numbers. All getting. How many new social media followers I would get. How many millions of downloads the podcast would get.
Not this time.
The goal for 2022 is to be prolific in my giving. Because when I look back at my life, the one thing that has brought me the most joy is giving. Being of service to the world, with no strings attached.
Come to think of it, it’s not really a goal. It’s a way of being.
Because: Be. Do. Have.
Funny thing is, when you take that holiday giving spirit into the entire year, the things you want to receive just have a way of showing up. The universe has your back. It tends to disburse abundant returns after you’ve made your generous contributions.
So my question for you as we begin the new year is, how can you become more prolific in your giving?
Are you willing to give more, to give back, with no strings attached? And most importantly, are you ready to accept the fact that you have more to give than you think? Much more. It’s not just money and physical gifts. You can be giving with your time, energy, support, praise, ideas, and experience.
The spirit of giving is alive within you, still.
The season is always.
Today on the podcast, Les Brown kicks off 2022 with a couple of stories about the power and principles of giving.
Source: The Greatness within You
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