Giving More

 

The act of giving is an important element of our humanity.  Focusing our attention away from ourselves and helping others is beneficial in many ways.  Small acts of kindness, charitable giving, philanthropy of any magnitude is good for our soul.  One of my goals this year is to give more.

 

There are any number of ways we can give even if we find ourselves a little financially strapped.  It doesn't have to be on any grand scale to be effective.  Sometimes it can be as simple as a smile and saying hello to a stranger, holding a door for someone, helping an older person or a mom with kids to load their groceries into their car.  Shoveling snow off your neighbors sidewalk or taking in their trash bin after the garbage man has come by.  Baking cookies for a friend just because or a meal for a busy working family to give them a much needed break.  Sending a card or a letter to someone in the mail.  Taking some old towels or blankets to the animal shelter.  Volunteering someplace or offering to help someone for free.

 

As you all know I've been going through my home and decluttering.  While I could have sold some of the things I've chosen to get rid of instead I decided to give it to my neighborhood thrift store.  In the long run they will get far more benefit from it than I will so anything of any use or value has been going to them.  When I made my most recent pass through my kitchen pantry I gathered up a bunch of things I had purchased for my children that are no longer needed.  Peanut butter, oatmeal packets, ramen, extra bottles of ranch dressing, pasta and sauce packets.  I filled up a brown paper shopping bag and took it to their old high school where they have a food pantry.

 

I'm going to focus more on being a charitable and giving person.  I may not make a major impact on the world, but I do believe that acts of kindness are highly beneficial on both the recipient and the person that does the giving.  It gets us to step outside of ourselves and our clogged up minds and lends clarity to what is truly important.  It makes us a better human in a very positive way.