On Giving

As a verb, give means freely transfer the possession of. It can also mean cause or allow to have. As a noun, give means capacity to bend or alter in shape under pressure. According to Google, give has recently seen an upsurge in usage.[1]

Interestingly, to give can illustrate the give of something. The two are obviously related. For example, if you give breath into a balloon, you’ll see it’s give through the expansion of the balloon. If you give too much breath, it’ll pop. Too little breath and the balloon never takes it full shape.

Life is like that too. What we give is a direct reflection of who we are. I am a advisor,  I am a teacher, I am a husband and father; therefore, I give advise, I give instruction, I give knowledge and love.  

This rings true for our gifts of money too. Often times I hear from clients that they want to leave money to causes that they believe in. Many times these are causes that they’ve already donated time and talent too by serving on boards or committees. This makes sense because we give to that which we believe in. That’s probably why most of the prosperity courses I’ve taken always say tithe to where you are spiritually fed, and give that which you want to receive. You are fueling that which fuels you. For most people, that’s their church. But have you ever given money to someone that you’ve learned a great lesson from? The gratitude shown through their eyes is a heart felt experience that can’t be expressed in words.

The holidays re-mind us about giving, particularly those that celebrate the idea of giving. There’s a reason most of these holidays fall on, or around the winter equinox , when things begin to go dormant for winter.  Winter is a good time to reflect on the gift of life. Having just experienced the passing of my godmother, I appreciate her gifts. Remembering her quiet demeanor and loving gaze will always re-mind me of her.

Recall Winston Churchill:

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.