I have for a long time believed in the power of giving. It brings nothing but benefits to the giver, whether we give randomly or even in the manner of Seed Money. It also brings magical coincidences and synchronicity into our lives. Well that's what I think anyway.
I remember when I was 7 (yes, I have a good memory) my mother wrote in my autograph book: 'Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.' At the time I wasn't too impressed when others were writing funny verses and themes. But it's one of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given.
There are so many aspects of giving it's not just money or presents, it can be a compliment, encouragement, a smile and a myriad of other things.
I'm no Bible pusher, I belong to no organised religion, but their are many truths within the book. Such as: "Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over ..." St.Luke 6:38.
That's the thing with giving you get more back than you give. Plus if we've ever given something: our time, a smile or done a favour, then we will also appreciate how good this makes us feel.
There are many who will say that this is all nonsense but gradually science is catching on to the benefits of giving.
Newcastle University did some research in a game format. This centered around giving cash to other players. Those who gave the most, who were generous at the start of the game, derived several benefits. They became better liked and trusted, for example, but the ultimate benefit was that they ended up with more money than the other players. From Biology Letters.
Harvard University also did various research and came to the conclusion that making a donation to charity not only helps others, it can make the giver mentally tougher, physically stronger and more popular.
One test they did, which does sound a bit odd, was to give volunteers some money. They were told that they could keep this or give it to charity.
Following their decision the volunteers were asked to hold a weight for as long as they could. Those who had given the money to charity were able to bear the load for nearly 10 seconds longer than the others.
Okay, these may not be the best two examples but giving can change lives. Try a little magical giving and hang on to your hats for what happens next!
Further Reading:
Miles Of Smiles And Butterflys
Coincidence Or Synchronicity - Example 10
Nice one, Mike. I remember also reading about your dad's autograph. They seem to have been wise people.
ReplyDeleteThanks Suzie. Sadly we often realise this when it's too late.
ReplyDeleteHow'd I miss this one? Cool story.
ReplyDeleteSuperb post. There's a reason those old sayings like 'do unto others what you would have them do unto you' are still mentioned today...they're 100% correct. I truly believe if we take a moment out of our lives to give something, anything (even if it's just a smile) we will be rewarded 10 fold in the future. And smiles are the simplest things to give!
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