Lessons in Giving

It's been a week since typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) has devastated the central part of the Philippines. Everyday,  there's only two major things I see on the news and on my Facebook wall - the damage done by the typhoon and the aid that has been coming in to the affected areas from all over the world.

There's also a lot of mixed reactions regarding the donations and help the Philippines has been getting:

"On behalf of the whole country, thank you!" 

"What about the people in this or that province?"

"The government is not doing enough (or moving fast enough)."

"I wonder if the donations are going directly to the typhoon victims?"

I am not writing this to refute or defend any of these sentiments. To some degree, I can sympathize and understand them. What bothers me is that, in the face of this national calamity, many people are quick to criticize and complain but not do anything to help. This gets me thinking about how much value we put nowadays on the virtue of giving. At this point, let me step away from the typhoon situation so as not to fan an already big flame.

The Energy of Giving
One of the common topics on the spiritual books I have read is about giving.  More specifically, the lesson that "The best way to have something you desire is to cause another to have it."

There's a reason why we grew up being taught that it is better to give than to receive. The universe is all energy. All energy flows. When you give, you become a conduit to this energy flow, which ultimately comes back to you, MAGNIFIED. When you give, you are sending a signal to the universe that you acknowledge your abundance, that you are grateful for the things you have. Keep in mind that gratitude is the most potent of all prayers, because you are expressing your knowing that before you even ask, it is already given.

What Can You Give?
Giving does not only pertain to material things. It's not just money or clothes or food. You can give your time. You can give a compliment. You can give your precious smile or hug. You can give "a hand".

Furthermore, "causing another to have it" doesn't mean you give "it" in actuality. For example, what if you desire to become a millionaire? Do you need to give away one million pesos? No. But in your quest to become one, you have gained knowledge, experience and insights that you can share and pass on to other people and help them become millionaires too! Remember that the universe us abundant and limitless. There's more than enough millions for everyone who wish to have it.

Now, just because there's a lot of different ways and forms of giving doesn't mean you would simply "take your pick." It's sad to say that many us can and will only give only when it is convenient. We give the beggar on the street change that only supermarkets would accept. We give away old clothes not because we no longer use them, but because we no longer could. We give a smile to the guy in the elevator because he looks cute, but not to the man on the bus who "looks like a snatcher".

Also, do not feel giving a smile is enough when you know in your heart that you can give more than that, and when you know the other person needs more than that. Remember the Golden Rule? "Do unto others as you would want others do unto you." When you choose to help, what kind of help would YOU appreciate if you were in their shoes?

Give From The Heart
Is there really such a thing as a selfless deed? Really, would anyone go out and help another if you're not getting anything out of it?

I personally do not believe that there's any deed that is selfless. However, I also believe there's only ONE SELF-SERVING REASON that would indicate you're giving from the heart -- that you give because of the JOY it brings to you.

It is perfectly okay to know and expect that you will be rewarded by the universe when you give. The mistake most of us make in this whole giving business is when we expect:

1. The reward to come from the same person we gave to
2. The reward to come in the same form that we gave away

When you do this, you are BARGAINING and not giving. This causes a lot of doubt, anxiety and bitterness. What if you gave something to someone, and when it's your turn to ask for something, they didn't help out? What if they're unable to? What if they didn't want to? What if they forgot?

You see, there's no need to "keep score". The universe does this for you, and does so in a much better way. Your only job is to give from the heart. The universe will take care of your reward in the most perfect time in the most perfect way.

So how do we give from the heart? Watch and be inspired...