GIVING

Have you ever seen people get honoured for what they received? I guess your answer is as good as mine; NO. Whereas I have seen people get honoured for what they gave! GIVING is indeed the highest level of living. The greatest people on earth are usually those who have chosen to live for others. I love the golden words of Albert Einstein; “The value of man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” Giving must form part of our existence. It must be habitual and be done freely without expecting anything in return. It can be in form of offering your time, assets, talents etal to aid someone in need. Giving should not be solely based on one's economic status, but instead, should include the individual's pure intentions of looking out for a need and giving from the heart. It should reflect the individual's passion to help others. Nothing speaks to others more loudly than your act of generosity! You must learn that whatever God has blessed you with is not just for yourself but to enable you help others. Giving comes out of contentment as anyone who is not satisfied with what he has will find it difficult to give. If you do not cultivate the act of giving when you only have little, you will find it difficult to give when you have much. You must begin to see money as a resource and not allow it control you. Sometimes the act of letting go of money, asset or something you treasure does something within us. Unfortunately, we live in a society where giving has been rather more of a selfish act than a selfless one. We tend to do it to gain the favor of someone, or to mask our ill intentions, to make amends, or cloak our shortcomings. As such, the very essence of giving is compromised because our intention then turn to benefit instead of expressing benevolence. The essence of giving is the selfless intention behind the act. There is a special reward for doing something for someone who is not in a position of repaying you! Our humanity is shown in how we care for one another especially the less privileged. Some of us who, through experience, know what it is to be hungry, jobless or to be left out of society have a greater responsibility to reach back and give to those who are now where we used to be. Remember; “To whom much is given, much is required.” We are called to be equally concerned about those in the cold (without shelter), those who have no place to eat or friends to talk with. We must make a difference because we can! I challenge you today to reach within to embrace humanity. Someone has said, “If I can help somebody along the way, then my living will not be in vain.” Someone needs your help; help them and your life will be so much richer. Visit a less-privileged home; spend some time with a child who is without parental support; donate your unused clothing to someone who needs it; practice patience and kindness; forgive someone; the list can go on. Give something to someone. Keep it real and put your Humanity in Motion. Remember, your candle loses nothing when it lights another. Have a great day. Should you want to join my mailing list, kindly do so by submitting your email address at the right hand-side of this page or send a mail to me at zicolotoday@gmail.com