The Gift is in the Giving
I have to be honest. I made the woman cashier at BIG! LOTS cry. I had shopped and gathered three baskets full together at the check out line and she just kept saying "This is so emotional". I just kept encouraging her by acknowledging that she was playing an important part in making a lot of people very happy, that she was participating in an essential act of charity.
I rarely make people cry when I shop, but today was something special. I had checked my "Giving" jar and found it quite full since I'd been on vacation last month, so I called one of my favorite charities to find out what was on their wish list. Then, I went shopping.
I wanted to have my money make a difference on their behalf, so I went to a discount store. As I went through the store, I was thinking of the abused women and children who didn't have the luxury of going out to buy what they desired. I was on a mission of charity on their behalf.
As I took my carts, one after another, to the main checkout stand until I finished, I told them about my mission. Other shoppers came over to ask about what was going on as I checked out. I shared the story with them and they began to get excited, too.
When I delivered the bags of treasures to the organization, they were surprised. The woman I'd spoken to on the phone, Lisa, said she had no idea when I'd called that morning that I intended to do this. Then she said, "It feels like Christmas! It's so exciting!"
As I was finishing my purchase at the store, the cashier thanked me for making a difference in her day and for teaching her more about the importance of charity. She said she was going to go home and tell everyone about me, about what I'd done.
As the man from the store helped me out to my car, he asked me "You're really giving this all to charity?" Then, we began talking about the children. I told him that the children of the world need to know that life can be good and generous, that they can have their dreams, and that there are people out there who really care about them.
Every small act of kindness and charity can make a huge difference in life. We all need to know that we are counted and that we are visible. Even when we cannot be seen.
It's important to remember to give on a regular basis. It just feels good to be generous with an open heart. Giving is the other hand of our receiving to be in the flow of life. We must continually give to keep the flow coming to us and to expect to receive that flow in return for what we contribute.
Now, the truth is every gift, especially those of charity, should be given for fun and for free with no expectation of reciprocation. However, having done our part we are absolutely entitled to expect the Universe to increase our flow as the result of what we give out!
We all have something to give - a smile, a kind word, a loving gesture, a helping hand, a bouquet of flowers, a phone call of care, and, yes, the financial prosperity that we have been blessed with.
Charity is a commitment we can make each day to reap great rewards. Giving is an affirmation that we believe in the limitless abundance of the world - a powerful affirmation that we know there is always enough for everyone, including us.
It's important to know that we count and that we make a difference in the world around us. Give freely, give gratefully, and give with joyful anticipation of all that you are about to receive!
YOU deserve it!
Debbie Friedman, M.S., C.Ht., is the Manifesting Maven who helps people consciously create the life they love to live. She is the creator of the popular Cleaning Out the Closet of Your Mind for Wealth series.
http://www.cleaningoutthecloset.com
Latest News
 MSNBC | Survey: Couples have more happiness, less sex after they stop working MSNBC - Feelings of happiness in retirement do have a catch, though. Contentment seems to spike when both the husband and the wife are retired together and are ... Exclusive New Survey From AARP The Magazine Looks at Effect of ... |
Spread Christmas Happiness for friends Salisbury Post, NC - Today's Christmas Happiness contributions include one from eight friends — Martha, Lonzo, Phyllis, Ted, Sylvia, Gary, Beth and Terry. ... A solid gingerbread house needs a sturdy cement |
Seven Steps to Happiness for this Holiday Season eNews Park Forest, IL - Old Lyme, CT (PRWEB)-- Happiness is not as hard to find if one applies effort and acceptance of the joy of the "simple" things in our everyday life. ... |
Deals Abound, But Which Offer Lasting Delight? Wall Street Journal - Experts who study happiness have repeatedly found that people get the most joy out of time with family and friends or activities that provide personal ... For every stock seller, there's a buyer |
 St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Dog used as metaphor for happiness in 'Marley & Me' St. Louis Post-Dispatch, United States - "That's what I wanted the movie to capture, and that's why the dog is such a beautiful metaphor for happiness," Frankel said. "Dogs don't look forward, ... |
Christmas Happiness Fund important in tough times Salisbury Post, NC - That's where Christmas Happiness can help. This will make the 57th year the fund — cosponsored by the Salisbury Post and the Rowan County Department of ... |
Study: Happiness is contagious among friends ABC Action News, FL - FRAMINGHAM, MA -- One person’s happiness starts a chain reaction that spreads to their friends and even their friend’s friends, researchers found. ... |
Education and Home 'Happiness with my third kidney' Philippine Star, Philippines - In the book, I Have Three Kidneys, Dr. Rose Marie O. Rosete-Liquete has collected a series of moving stories of 15 patients and their relatives. ... |
Dispatch from the 4th International Conference on Gross National ... INTHEFRAY Magazine - And that is what the Bhutanese have been working on since the 1970s, when their last king realized that the country’s gross national happiness was more ... |
 Telegraph.co.uk | Feeding birds: Spread a little happiness Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Birds play a vital part in our gardens. Well-fed birds associate our gardens with a source of food and will visit more often, foraging in the borders for ... |
Resources
-
Save Your Relationship, Save Your Marriage, Stop Your Divorce, Stop Your Break Ups, Broken Heart Adv
Save Relationship, Broken Heart, Breakup, Breaking up Advice, Save Marriage, Stops Divorce, Bring Back Lost Love
-
Mind Power Studio; the power of affirmations, subliminal messages and subconscious mind for self imp
Discover the power of affirmations, subliminal messages, self improvement,subconscious mind with Mind Power Studio
-
Mind Control Secrets for a Lifetime of Health, Happiness and Success
25 of the World's Great Masters Reveal the Secrets of Creating Wealth and Prosperity with the Power of Your Mind.
-
Eliminate Negative Thinking, Achieve Your Dreams - RightandWrongThinking.info
Take charge of your life and create the success and Happiness you want and deserve! Learn how to eliminate negative thoughts, control your mind and achieve your dreams. Why Learning to Control Negative Thoughts is the Key to Your Achieving Success!
-
Conquering Fear
Discover how to conquer fear.
-
The Motivated Mind - A Complete Guide to Personal Change
Motivation tips and techniques to help you achieve greater Happiness and success.
-
Mind Control Secrets for a Lifetime of Health, Happiness and Success
Step-by-step instructions in this absolute beginner's guide to using mind power for wealth.
-
Your Quantum Leap into the Understanding, Having and Enjoying of Immense Wealth and Happiness
Your Quantum Leap to Understanding, Having and Enjoying Immense Wealth & Happiness.
-
The Master Key System - Charles F. Haanel
The Master Key System by Charles Haanel. A 24-part course on achievement and success. Also, free books by Thomas Troward.
-
Yoga Health Secrets: relaxation, stress-relief, health and inner peace
Yoga Health Secrets is a comprehensive guide to yogic techniques for Happiness and good health.