Giving

"No person was ever honored for what he received. He was honored for what he gave." - Calvin Coolidge
Giving can be one of the hardest things we'll do in life. Giving our money, our time and our resources can be challenging especially when we seem to have so little of each. But giving, no matter what religious or experiential history we have, is still one of the most important things we can do in life. Giving creates a flow in our own lives while it benefits our recipients. If our fists are too tight to let go of the money we hold, then we clog the flow of our own ability to receive. We cause a dam and then we suffer because we feel we need to keep every single penny we get. We actually diminish our ability to receive more. Now I am not speaking in mystical, hocus-pocus, uber-spiritual terms here but I am saying that no matter what you think, when you give, it finds a way to come back to you.
If money is too tight then consider your time and energies. Can you give 15 minutes to an elderly neighbor who just wants to talk? Can you give blood? Can you give something you own to a needy individual? Get up and walk around your house. There has to be at least ONE thing that you could give that would make SOMEONES day.
And think about how good it feels to give. That in itself is a reward like no other.
Even when teaching my own children about money and finances I tell them to follow the 10-10-10-70 rule. Save 10%, Invest 10%, GIVE 10% and the rest you keep and do with as you see fit. Incorporate giving into your everyday life and you will notice your stress levels going down, your happiness going up and your overall view of life improving. Giving allows us to get out of our own way and instead of fixating on our problems we look at helping someone else. The best way to solve our own problems is to help someone else solve their problems.
I challenge you to consider what you can give today. Remember, it's common sense and it's contagious. Make it a part of your everyday life and see if you don't inspire others to do the same.