Be A Giver, Not A Grabber

There is a lot of ‘grabbing’ happening lately: grabbing human rights away, grabbing from the poor to give to the wealthy, grabbing power that wasn’t given, grabbing one-sided history/freedoms, grabbing public national parks to sell off, grabbing people and deporting them without due process, the grabbing privileged people who get insider trading without experiencing legal consequences - grabbers abound.  Instead of all of this grabbing, what if we focused on and rewarded being a giver?

While not everyone can volunteer their time consistently, we can all find ways to give to others. To be honest, I do not enjoy volunteering in a large, recognizable group.  When I volunteer, I attempt to do it ‘under the radar’ so as not to draw attention to myself.  When I taught at a local community college, I was required to do a certain number of community service hours every year to be eligible for promotion.  I resented being forced to serve as a condition for promotion.  My volunteering wasn’t a joyful activity for me; it was a demand on me.  That’s not the right way to encourage volunteering because forcing it doesn’t come from caring and from the heart. Now, when I volunteer my time or resources, I don’t want everyone to know because it’s not about me; it’s about others.  My reward is seeing how others benefit from what I can give.

What are some ways we can give rather than grab? Here are a few ideas for giving of yourself and your resources:

*Share - don’t hoard. As a minimalist, this is easy for me.  If I used to can vegetables harvested from my garden, but, I no longer have the garden, why hang on to the canning supplies when someone who does preserve veggies can use them?  If you are no longer working in a corporate job, why keep a closet full of suits, dress shirts, dress shoes, and ties when someone who is still working in a more formal environment could use those items?

*Take care of your neighbors and community.  If you see or hear about needs your neighbors have or your local community has, give what you can to help relieve the need.  If your neighbor had a heart attack, research heart-healthy recipes and make a meal to take to them.  If your community needs financial literacy training and you know all about that, offer to teach workshops.

*Share your skills / talents. Even though we all need to make money to live, there are times when we could donate our skills and talents to benefit others.

*Give gratitude.  To show gratitude, we don’t have to give expensive gifts; all we have to do is express and acknowledge appreciation, even for small things. Giving someone a thankful wave when they let us through in traffic, thanking someone for opening the door for us when we are holding a heavy load, showing gratefulness when a customer service representative provides help - these are all small acts of gratitude that don’t cost us anything.

*Give encouragement.

*Give positivity. There is an abundance of negativity in the world, so, giving positivity is a gift.  Here’s an unusual example that’s not meant to shine the light on me, but, rather, to show how you can give positivity easily.  I drive past a house near my home that features bricks painted in bright colors in a happy pattern; in addition, the property features beautiful cairns (stacked rock piles). Recently, I wrote a note in a card telling the homeowners, whom I don’t know, how delightful their house is and what joy it brings me every time I drive by.  I didn’t sign it and I put it near their front door.  Something small and something positive may have made that homeowner’s day.

Please don’t be like the grabbers we see in high places of power these days; be better; be a giver. What are some ways you can be a giver rather than a grabber? I invite you to share your stories, thoughts, insights, and suggestions by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at reimaginelife22@gmail.com.

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