My Silly Paradigm

Debt-Free Friday: Give

Written by cbte on April 16th, 2010

Often, people associate “giving” with donating money to a charitable cause.  This is a fine example of giving, but it is without a doubt not the only way to give.  There is another form of giving that is forgotten through repetition of its absence.  It is perhaps the most important form of giving you’ll ever practice.

What escapes people is the practice of giving to the people they love.  As time goes by, they figure their love is apparent through different mediums.  This is true.  As we develop and create new bonds with people, they feel our love in new and exciting ways; however, this is no excuse to eradicate giving as a whole.

What you have to discover is what “giving” means to you.  It doesn’t have to be monetary, but it can be – and sometimes should be.  Giving can be as simple as buying flowers or as big as taking an all-day trip to a fun convention.  There is a common theme to these things.  They cost money.  I’ve been a tightwad for a long time, so I can empathize with someone who feels they shouldn’t spend money when they don’t “need” to.  However, the “need” portion of that statement should be closely examined.  Just because you don’t think someone needs something doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t need that something.

The main point of giving is to not think about what you can give, but about what others would be appreciative of.  When you look at it through someone else’s eyes, giving takes on a new meaning.  Don’t give to make you feel good, give to make him/her/them feel good.  Your joy will come with theirs.