“I GIVE”
A few years ago there was an Oprah Winfrey programme on called “The Big Give” that I happened to catch a couple of the last few episodes, including the final. The premise of the show was 10 contestants, given a certain amount of cash each week and they had to give big by raising more money, putting on shows, helping people… and I think it was a different city each week. Then each week one person would be sent home until the end… you get the picture.
Given how close it is to Christmas, I thought how appropriate that kind of attitude is to have not only at this time of year (though, really, shouldn’t that be a daily thing we try to absorb, embrace and exemplify?) but to also use it for this week’s affirmation!
I’m not suggesting we all go out and raise money and achieve what these contestants did… although, if we could (or did), wouldn’t that be wonderful… generally though we can’t afford to give up our daily lives to do something like that. Instead, I thought about what if each and every one of us considers how we give to others… and to ourselves.
Seriously… what do you give to yourself? What do you give to others? How do you do this? If you don’t give… why not? If you do… what do you think the benefits are?
What do you consider to be “giving”?
One reaction to that could be of presents (well it is Christmas time)… gifts… material stuff… another could be the thought about how giving it is to smile at a stranger and what that might actually bring to their day. What about opening a door for someone… apart from having manners of course… what about letting that car out in front of you even if it delays you by 30 seconds? What about texting someone just to say hello if you haven’t heard from them for a while? Saying I love you, I missed you… or thank you for being there for me?
What then of giving to your self? Do you give your self a hug when you need it? How about a pat on the back and congratulations for something achieved or well done? What about a word or two of encouragement when you feel down and it’s hard to get motivated again? Don’t most people find that they can give to others but then treat themselves the harshest? Self love and self care are also part and parcel of our innate self-respect and self-worth, and very often a lot of people forget that they too deserve these things!
What are you and those closest to you in need of right now? And how can you give those gifts to them all (your self included)?
There are many many benefits to giving… not least the sense that we have helped to make someone else happy, have maybe lightened their burden… there’s also the fact that it can also obviously make us feel good about ourselves as well, but to me this is about unconditional giving… not expecting something in return, because we are giving because we want to, we choose to and because, hopefully, that will bring about a positive moment in a person’s life (be that another or our own)!
We do not remember days
we remember moments
~~ Cesare Pavese ~~
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead ♥
Image origin: Unknown
© 2012 Michelle Payne
Dreamweaver Consulting 