Give & You Shall Receive

This topic says it all. Its the beginning, the middle and the conclusion all in one.

I’m becoming more and more passionate about this and have learnt so much about myself through giving more.

By giving, you are investing in something far greater than any material possession.

You cannot put a price on the value of giving.

Giving is the gift that never stops giving.

Giving is not for yourself, but what it gives back leaves me awe struck.

God is good! The formula of liberty never fails.

There is something so very precious about truly grasping what I am talking about and its something I hope everyone gets to experience and fully feel in their life.

A s humans we are competitive and always aiming for the next best thing.

We naturally want more.

We want to have more.

We want to get more.

It’s most often about us gaining more than others.

There is a growing culture of “self” which is such a trap.

We should be doing less for ourselves and more for others.

(With balance and good boundaries of course)

I have often had to give myself a pep talk, many times throughout my life.

Stop being so hard.

Stop being so greedy.

Stop being so judgmental.

Stop thinking I’m better and more entitled.

There is enough, you have enough, just share.

I use to make excuses when someone asked me for money and my prejudice stopped me because they are asking for money for food but “I'm funding a potential drunk or drug addict.” These excuses would validate my integrity, or so I thought.

Why is it so easy to judge and be annoyed by beggars and the faces “harassing” us?

It’s a very touchy subject. Even for me to share, how ironic.

Sometimes people just give you that feeling, that you don’t want to get involved and stay far away from them. They are “bad news”. I think this is where your discernment comes into play.

Are we connecting with various types of people from different cultures and backgrounds to help us get familiar and try see signs and mannerisms to call out a real chance taker or con-artist?

They are good at what they do, hence the name “con” and “artist”.

They prey on the weak, or rather, the soft hearted.

So, I hope this message is taken up in the way that I intended it and not softening you up to become a vulnerable victim. Every situation in life needs boundaries, including giving.

Its important to have healthy boundaries and giving doesn't mean that you have to put yourself back or do harm to your situation.

Giving is not a threat to us.

It becomes less about the giving, but more about the freedom of being able to give.

Give without expecting anything back.

"Just leave me alone."

"Someone else will help"

"Not now, it's not a good time, I’m dealing with my own things right now."

“They could see I’m avoiding eye contact and don’t want them talking to me right now yet they don’t back down. Just leave me alone.”

Is this someone in desperate need of help?

Have you ever been in this position, that its awkward but you find yourself asking?

Have you ever wondered how hard it actually is HAVING to ask in the first place?

A s hard as it sometimes feels to give or how easily my greed/judgment may push me away,

I have had to often fight against that sort of thinking.

If I can help, then I should just give.

This is not about what the money would be used for.

Its about helping someone who asks and not saying no without thinking.

Its about connecting to another human, in a very personal way.

How many people have asked me for help in my life in either a direct or indirect way, and I have said no by making an excuse to get out of it.

I wish I learnt this lesson years ago.

It’s a test that keeps coming and we all keep failing.

(Well, I'm assuming most people to some degree)

The fail affects us more than the person who gets a no.

Give!

Do not let your thoughts talk you out of giving.

The same way fear talks you out of doing certain things.

Do it before you have time to hesitate.

Practice giving and it gets easier and easier to do.

You detach yourself from “things” and see where the real values lie, what actually matters.

The number of times that I have instinctively said "sorry I do not have" and then feel bad for lying because I do have, is shameful.

I just said that so they can leave me alone.

Why is that?

That I (we) try protect ourselves from giving away what’s ours and protecting our space?

What are we so protective about?

Do we realize our walls are cutting us off from potential pathways?

Circling back to find the person to make right and they vanish into thin air.

Have you ever experienced this?

Its not a nice feeling.

Unfinished business.

The power lay in my hands, and now I'm the one dependent.

I would rather feel lied to and ripped off than deny someone help.

We cannot always know who is honest or dishonest, but the test is double sided.

This makes me think of a song by Everlast called What Its Like:

“We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change

the hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange

he asks a man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes

get a job you * slob is all he replied.

God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes

'cause then you really might know what its like to sing the blues”

Id like to think we have all been guilty of this, sometime or another.

So, my pep talk has needed to be drilled into me over the years.

Especially after living in Johannesburg.

People can be so hard, entitled, and take chances,

and it makes you hard and entitled in return.

Now, when someone asks me, I choose to respond truthfully to them.

I look for something to give.

If I have to give then great, If I don't then the intention was there.

You see, its all about a certain mindset that I'm after.

It took some training in the beginning to change old habits, but now I try give where I can.

If I do not have money, then what food or fruit is in the car?

Share something.

Even if all you can give that day, is a bit of chit chat and a friendly smile.

I cannot explain the good feeling when it is a very hot day and you find someone asking for money or food and to hand them some cold water or a naartjie (or any fruit) to eat.

How refreshing must that be to them?

Imagine that's you standing there in the hot sun, and you get this burst of hydrating fresh sweetness in your mouth that soothes your dry throat.

That’s some life changing stuff.

That's sharing kindness.

Anyone who has done hard physical work in the heat knows what I'm talking about here too.

Cool water has never been better.

Anything else above this is a bonus and recharges you on a whole other level.

Give and forget about it.

Carry on about your day.

It always comes back, always!

Not that you are expecting anything.

Maybe not that very day, but it will come back to you.

Sometimes when you really need it in return or when you least expect it.

I have had a giggle before, being surprised but also not really, because I have in the exact same day received back what I gave out, in Rand value.

This has happened more than once.

Sometimes only the next day or later that week.

I think if we were able to see this in another light how all the little things come together,

Our minds would be blown.

Its such a freeing feeling, knowing that there is less of this ”thing” or “attachment” to me when it comes to freely giving.

It is liberating.

Obviously through my life I have sentimental items and things I have bought with hard earned money that are precious to me which I would be upset about loosing or having to sell, but it would wear off far faster than expected today I believe, than it would have affected me in my past.

Things are just things and they actually mean nothing.

They have purpose, value, sentiment, but they actually mean nothing, they are just things.

Freedom, feelings and experiences are what I want to bank on.

That is life changing and eternal.

It holds a value that you can’t put your hands around.

A value that molds ones character.

The world can be such a cold, hard, selfish place.

Be the reason someone see’s the good that it holds <3

We all have a purpose in life, and I can guarantee part of that individual purpose, no matter what it is, includes helping and giving to others.

Please keep your eye out for new blogs every Wednesday touching on a different array of topics about life, business, how to articles and more in depth health specific issues and solutions.

If you would like me to break down or discuss any specific topics, please email me at info@hubofhumble.co.za

Thank you for reading <3