Giving

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Lately, I have been asking myself the question ‘How do I genuinely give because I genuinely want to give and don’t have any expectations?’.

Let’s define giving first. Giving is providing something to someone, or a group. It can be love, attention, time, money, materials, perhaps most importantly your presence.

Since we live in a world of commerce, a big part of our giving is transactional. When we enter a bakery we pay and get our fresh loaf of bread. We dine at a restaurant, receive the best experience and pay.

How about the non-transactional giving? We can choose to smile at the baker and ask him genuinely how he is doing. When eating in a restaurant we can choose to appreciate the waiters for serving us. When we meet up with a friend, we can choose to be genuinely interested in her and make it all about her and lend our presence. When we work on a project at work, we can go the extra mile and give our best.

Giving is about how I give, how I can be more helpful, and not about how I get. It does not mean going over your own boundaries, but it means being genuine and noticing the joy the receiver and you both experience when you give.