THE ART of SHARING

Why would I call sharing an art? We seldom realize the significance of such an act and are even less able to truly appreciate its value and not for someone, but primarily for ourselves. And today I suggest you walk along with me on the basics of this so simple but at the same time the highest Art.

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TAKING VS GIVING

I would like to start not from a distance but straight from the core. Who of those who are reading these lines now, likes to receive gifts? I think the answer is very simple - all. We all love to receive gifts, regardless of the occasion, the one who gives, or the purpose. Gifts make us happier, make us feel special and therefore a recognition of the importance of our existence.

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And now I would like to ask a separate question: “Do you like giving presents?” There are situations where presenting a gift became a duty, the one which MUST be fulfilled and you do not really have any desire to do it. It is more like “oh, yes, let’s do it because this is HAS to be done” and tick our list of things to do with one more successfully performed task. And it doesn’t mean there is a meaning in what you do. Is there?

It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into givingMother Teresa

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And I am not talking of making presents only - I include here a more broad concept of “giving”. It is when you give for the sake of giving, when you give because you have enough and because you just want. The desire is more than enough… And you can do with it so much that it is hard to imagine where it can lead you …

GIVING FROM A STATE OF ABUNDANCE

Oh, you sit there and think.. Abundance??? I do not have anything. What can I give? Think again. There is always something you can give, there is always someone who is ready to receive even the smallest part you can share. And the truth is that there are people you meet that can get something from you - something that you and you alone posses. The question is if you will be willing to consider the chance opening in front of you and grab it. It can come in any day with any person and only up to you to recognise it or pass by without noticing.

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Do you still have doubts you can give as little or much you have. Let’s see some people who already did it. It is always good to know that others can do so your mind will ease a bit with the thought that “if they can, why can’t I?”

Oseola McCarty - she was working cleaning and ironing clothes for people all her life so she earned very little but through all of her life she had savings. She was the one who donated almost all (leaving a small portion for her living expenses) to Missouri University back in 1995. The reason why was that she wanted young people to be able to have an education and therefore have a chance to have the possibility to work not that hard as she used to do all her life. She died in 1999 but the money she donated helped a lot of people to make her dream true.

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Ok, what if you do not have savings which you are willing to share? There are still other ways to give and you will be amazed when you start exploring it.

There are people who change the lives of others right there and right now giving as little as they have.

James Harrison is believed to have saved about 2 million children over the past 60 years and all what he gave was his blood on a weekly basis. He is called “the man with the golden arm” and is famous in Australia for his long-term work with the Red Cross. You think it might be not much to give you blood? For the women who has been pregnant and had their babies rhesus factor different from their own, these blood donations (or to be precise the medicine made out of it) is the only chance to give birth to healthy babies. Of course, he is not the only one but for sure one of the best contributors.

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There is a teacher Luis Soriano in Colombia who travels each year with his donkey across the country with one purpose - to deliver books to the children in the villages which are far from the city centers.

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There are many more examples. But my point is not to convince you that you can give even if the only thing is to give is as little as your smile. The point is in your understanding of this unique opportunity of being able and willing to give. And even more precious to recognise the chance when it comes. No more, no less.

TO GIVE IN ORDER TO GET

There are some people who give without getting back. It is very true for a lot of women. I met a lot of them in my life and always face the question “ … but I GAVE him\her so much and got nothing back”. What would you answer? I always find my way in bringing attention to the other truth - how much are you getting? Not specifically from this person, but in general? What is the point to feel unsatisfied if this particular person/s not giving you something? You will get all you give back - just get out of the illusion that it should come from the one to whom you gave. Life has many more interesting ways to give you back - just let it happen.

I guess this is the topic on its own and I can write a lot of stories about this as well but I think of the precious things you can get - just go and try it yourself. Your own personalised experience is 10 times more valuable than any story I can tell.

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CONCLUSION

You can be on any stage of your life. You can do everything with it, so why not to try to learn a simple but very unique art - the Art of giving.

We make a living by what we get, but we MAKE A LIFE by what we give. Winston Churchill

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I hope you MAKE a LIFE, not a living but if not, you are the one to change it!

With love,
@SashaGenji