Dec 13 - Are you expecting or giving? What are your reasons for giving to others? When you give, do you have expectations of something in return or is it more altruistic? If someone doesn’t show appreciation for what has been given, does this upset you? In business, do you give from an image perspective or a purposeful perspective? Is your giving aligned with your values, or more out of obligation or reaction?
When giving has meaning it has momentum. When giving has impact, it creates a legacy. Giving of your time, talent, or treasure makes a difference, in a multitude of ways, some of which you will never see. While someone may not directly express appreciation to you, they will remember your kindness and pay it forward. If you are giving, expecting something in return, then it is not giving, it is obligating. If you are giving in a more reactionary mode, it may be more out of feeling obligated than feeling inspired and purposeful.
Take an MM&I Moment to awaken to how your giving may not actually be giving. In this season of giving, there can be a lot of pressure to give on many fronts. Consider all the ways you are currently giving that feel more like obligations than a meaningful act of kindness or difference making. As much as we may want to give to all good causes, it is okay to set limits and also align your giving with your values or passions. Consider all the ways you have given, where you were upset that you did not receive something in return later or any acknowledgement. Examine whether this feeling is justified due to a clear mutually understood expectation versus your own expectations. Determine if appreciation is something that is important to you and why. Now consider all your values that represent the very heart of who you are or what your business represents. Does your giving align with your core values? Giving is a blessing to others and never should be a burden to you. When your giving has deep meaning, you are gratified by the act of giving, expecting nothing more.
Wide Awake Quote of the Week
“For it is in giving that we receive.” – Francis of Assisi
Yours in dreaming WIDE awake,
