Giving

Giving: The Fundamental Habit

Giving is the offering and providing of support, emotionally and/or physically. Giving is animportant aspect of happiness. The true meaning of giving is more than the act of offeringsomething material. The act of giving is a powerful source of the feeling of well-being, both forthe giver and the receiver. Giving is often misunderstood as a trade, where you give somethingto someone and they give you something back. In actual fact, true giving means to act with noexpectations attached. To give of what we care about, be that be a material item or some of ourtime, can transform us and can give us a different perspective on happiness. Giving makes usfeel that we can have an impact on someone or something and thus encourage us to do evenmore.

Back to Basics: Giving

Giving shows our thoughtfulness, love and affection and in return, gives us the same feelingsback. Giving makes us happy and is therefore good for our overall health. Giving helps buildsocial connections and evokes gratitude. In Native American culture there is a Give AwayCeremony. This act helps in the recognition of appreciation and in the development of sharingand trust,. Even small gestures of kindness can help others and affect the givers mind, emotionsand body. Giving money is not the only criteria for giving and grandiose gestures are not theonly way to give. The sharing of stories enriches lives on both sides of giving. Ways to give arepersonal and unique to every person in every time or stage of their life. In addition, giving canbecome contagious!

Daily Planning for Giving

There are often times when it feels like time is racing forward at an incredible speed. If we buildsmall acts of giving and empathy into our daily routine we benefit everyone around us as well asourselves. Stop and take a moment to look at all the people around you that you may normallywalk right past without really seeing them, for example, the cashier at the grocery store or adelivery person, etc. By personally connecting to them we become more present in our dailyactivities while giving recognition to them. For our children, we can involve them in the giving ofsomething concrete to help to teach them the process and meaning of true giving.The simpleact of giving of oneself can reduce our own stress and anxiety while benefiting something orsomeone outside of ourselves.

Tips and Tricks for Giving

• Start small and build up the habit of giving and level up when and if it makes sense in your life.
• Make small gestures of kindness such as holding a door open for someone.
• Build a family tradition of giving.
• Make personal connections to those around you.
• Give the gift of your time and volunteer in an area of significance to you such as in a school, community center, or health care facility.