the power of generosity

This past week, the Universe gave me some wonderful opportunities to put into practice the wonderful law of giving and receiving. On Saturday, a young nervous pimply-faced girl asked me to donate money toward her youth program. I gave her the last $20 bill in my wallet. On Sunday, while getting out of my car to do groceries, an older gentleman asked me to donate $5 towards gas. He had left the house without his ATM card and needed to get to some such place. It was a dubious story but I gave him the money anyway, he obviously needed it. This evening, on a random Tuesday, a handsome fellow with a nice smile and dreads asked me to contribute towards an environmental initiative.  I gave him the $10 I was going to use to go pick up milk later. I could buy milk with my debit card.

Trust me, I’m not rolling in excess dough. So, why did I give these folks the only money I had at the moment? Because, as a life coach and law of attraction expert, I have to practice what I preach! ;0)  As we give so receive. If I want people to buy my services and products happily, I have to do likewise. The moment I give freely, I put into motion the great and unfailing law of giving and receiving.  Having given, I know somewhere down the road I am going to receive.  Whenever we give, we are really just giving to ourselves. But of course, the key is to give freely, from a place of genuine generosity, not expecting anything in return.  My return in all three cases was quite invisible – I didn’t really receive any tangible product or benefit. But giving, made me feel good and it made me feel generous, which is a great vibration to attract abundance!

And, if I had said to these askers, “I’m sorry, I don’t have the money,” I’m also saying that to myself – setting myself up for lack. I’m also setting up the Universe to tell me in my time of need, “Im sorry, I don’t have the money.”  See, every time we withhold giving, we are really withholding from ourselves.

So, if you want to invite more abundance in your life, start giving. It may seem really counter-intuitive, especially if you are unemployed. But the truth is, the more you hold onto your cash, the more you hoard, the more you actually create more lack for yourself. Like, let’s say you stop getting massages, taking fun workshops, or buying lattes, because you wanna save a couple of bucks. How does that make you feel? More than likely it makes you feel poor, unworthy, unloved and uncared for. So, where does that get you?  So, this is why you have to actually laugh in the face of so-called downturns or adversity. Don’t buy into lack. Continue to do the things that are fun. Doesn’t mean you have to go nuts and blow your budget, just don’t get into a lack mentality. If you start believing you are poor and broke, that’s what you become. You cannot draw abundance and opportunities and expect the Universe to be generous with you, if you are being a scrooge with yourself and others.

Stop saying you can’t afford stuff, or you will literally find yourself unable to afford stuff.  By your own words you are justified and condemned. If you think other people’s services are over-priced, others will feel the same about yours. Is that really what you want? If you are looking for a new job, do you want to receive the salary you are worth? Of course you do! You don’t wanna be low-balled.

People who give freely, receive freely. People who are generous are constantly receiving. Don’t believe me? Look around your world, the folks who are thriving in abundance, are they stingy? Or do they take good care of themselves buying goods and services that make them feel happy and good about themselves?

So, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Are you setting yourself up for lack or abundance? Remember, in the end you are only giving or withholding to yourself. The moment you withhold, you block the natural flow and energy of abundance. Love yourself, be kind to yourself, invest in yourself, treat yourself well. The Universe only gives you back what you put out.

The next time you take a donation/dana* based yoga class, workshop or retreat down at your local ashram or wherever, ask yourself, is $1 really respectfully the value of the teaching I just received?  Was that really in all honesty worth less than the soy chai I’m about to purchase? If so, great, carry on!

If you want abundance, be generous. If you want people to buy your goods and services, buy other people’s good and services.  If you see no value in other people’s services, the world at large will see no value in your service. As you support others, others support you. As you give, so you receive. So, be generous, for your very own sake.

Guess what? Another benefit I got from giving to those three askers, beyond feeling good and generous, is this newsletter! Nice. ;0)

*Dana is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means “generosity” or “giving.” It refers specifically to taking delight in giving — that is, getting in touch with the natural generosity and wish to share inside of us. The mind of generosity is a joyful mind; it does not suffer from regret or a feeling of poverty. Dana is not given out of obligation or in order to avoid looking cheap. It shows that we want the teachers and practitioners who benefit us to have the four requisites of life – food, shelter, clothing, and medicines.