Give Freely: Help Others and Yourself

Many of us have intentions to do good, but only sometime in the future when we have more money than we need. Or when we’re retired and have time on our hands. Our thinking is that right now we don’t have enough. Instead of this limiting thought, we can choose an abundance mentality, and realise that we already have more than we need. And when we start to give freely, we also plug into nature’s cycle of give and take, and can start to receive freely.

Give of your time

Time is a gift to us. Each of us is given this time on earth, to make what we will of our lives. We have the freedom to decide what to do with the hours we have. Of the 168 hours a week, consider giving just one hour to a deserving cause. If you can’t afford an hour a week, try an hour a month, or even an hour a year.

The Dalai Lama teaches us that we are happier when we make others happy. And when we are happier, we will be more productive in other areas of our lives. So giving to others actually helps us too. Find something that you find meaningful, and give freely of your time:

• Spend time with the old
• Collect old clothes for the poor
• Clean up beaches or coral reefs
• Man a crisis helpline
• Tutor poor children
• Take part in a fundraising event

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Give of your money

Most people’s reaction to donating part of their income is “What! I don’t even have enough for myself. Wait till I’m rich, then I’ll give.” But this kind of thinking actually harms us and keeps us in want.

When you tell yourself that you cannot afford it, you send a very powerful message to your brain: “The universe is limited and I don’t have enough”. This will then become your reality. When you give freely, you tell your brain “There is more than enough for everyone, and my life is so abundant I can give some away.” This is the secret to an abundant life.

Science has found that giving makes us happier than not giving. You don’t have to give a lot, only what you can afford. A dollar is better than nothing. Give to a cause you believe in:

• Donate to an orphanage
• Support an old folks’ home
• Buy stationary for a neighbourhood school
• Build a school in a remote village
• Adopt an elephant in a sanctuary
• Start a scholarship fund

Give freely, and receive freely

What goes around comes around. This applies to your time and money too. You can’t take it with you when you go. The good that your money does will probably outlive you. So give freely, and your life will mean something even when you’re no longer around.