Lessons in Giving

The joy of giving is in the silent "thank you" we get that is equivalent to saying "life is good". 
(Photo credit - From the Web)

I am what most people call the last species of martyrs in this cynical world. I know, I am not entirely a saint and I have my faults, but when it comes to personal relationships, I am the most giving. I listen, I accompany, I just allow the person to be himself without expecting anything back.

People often say I am careless about giving away myself far too much to people who are probably emotional vampires. You see, its not that I am a magnet for misery but most friends I know run to me when they have troubles on their own. I do not provide the solutions always, I just listen and I don’t know why most of the time, they feel I’ve helped them in a way.

I learned a long time ago that material giving is only but a sandbox on the beach of true giving. Before, I equaled giving with thoughtfulness, but as I was growing up and learning the ropes about more precious things in life like time, sympathy, and concern I basically started turning on these resources when someone needs to feel they are not alone. 

So you cannot really blame me for being a martyr in a sense. People today are so busy with themselves that they fail to remember that giving themselves away makes it more meaningful to be in this life. Giving is not always about deduction of what you have but only sharing what you can provide. We cannot really give something to a person to make them whole or make them feel better. We can only give them the silent support that they find their own strength and truth that they may be failing to see in their current situation. Giving is actually putting faith in a person and accepting him as he is without judgment or prejudice. 

I am just thankful that I came across about this meaning of true giving in this stage of my life. Many find it odd that I concern myself with environmental issues or making someone else’s day a priority in a day. I do not find it weird or a psychological need. It makes me happy to give somehow in my own little way day by day. Giving is trusting that what you have and able to share will never be depleted. Call it Divine Providence or blind faith, but it is in this trusting that we connect with ourselves and others in a meaningful way. 

Some people accuse me of having hidden intentions in giving – sometimes I doubt myself why I was born that way. But I am more secured that my life has its most significant purpose when I tend to think of myself but of others instead. So no matter how people have hurt or ridiculed me, I never lost hope that things will turn out good for everyone. I know in time, people will realize that true giving is actually a good thing not only for others but also for our souls. Nurturing other souls as we can helps us nurture our own in a way. 

When we truly give ourselves to others, we discover how little it takes to create miracles in other people’s lives. To be heroes, we do not need to have special powers or do tremendous feats, all we need is to be still, be giving, be true and we become further better persons than the last time we were. Doing this, we become more aware of the good things in life, we do good, and ultimately we become good.