“To live a pure unselfish life, one can count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance” – Buddha

 

You can’t take it with you.

Not the Rolls-Royce. Not the house.  Not the weaves. (Oh, I went there!) Not the shoes, not the makeup… Not even your body.

No.

So, why do we hold on so tightly to stuff?

All the material wealth you gather does not really belong to you.

This perspective can be humbling… hopefully, not humiliating, but humbling..

When you realize you do not really own anything, that you are a temporary steward of the abundance you have been given, everything changes.

You are a conduit, a portal, a vessel for abundance. Not for you to hold on to, but to pour out. Fill up and then pour out. I am not saying that you should not be wealthy. Not at all. I am saying you are an instrument, an avenue of abundance. It should flow through you.

Like a jar,  a fountain, filling up and pouring out… never empty, but ever flowing.

We get so obsessed with money… Debt can be overwhelming, so we worry and rightfully so.  But it is also important to remember that life is fleeting… And things can change in an instant…

If Bill Gates dies, he can’t take his billions with him… But I will remember that he did incredible  feats of courageous and even radical generosity –  using his money to alleviate poverty, to increase access to health care,  investing in  education for young girls, empowering women all over the world with reproductive health access,  funding treatment and research for the  world’s most challenging problems and diseases, etc.

That is Bill Gate’s true legacy and it is what I will remember.

It is also why I love Oprah… not because she’s famous but that she’s radically generous…  She has used her platform to inspire and equip millions like me to live their best lives, to dream bigger dreams and to serve the world with our light.

Someone once said, “you can’t help the poor if you are poor…”

I don’t completely believe that but I can see the truth in what he was trying to say. You become wealthy not to hoard the money for yourself, but to serve others…

Having this perspective can be gratifying… You realize that your wealth, status, credentials  do not make you superior to others.. They place you in a unique position to serve.

It is an honor and a privilege to be who you are. So, humble your self…

See yourself as you really are…. not better or worse than others… Stand your sacred ground.

I love the term used at my church ” Courageous generosity”.

I love the idea of giving courageously. The word “Courage”  means “to share your heart”… so giving courageously means giving  with the intention of sharing your heart. I love that!

I want to be a courageous giver. I want to be a radical giver…  Vulnerably giving, stretching myself…  stretching  my faith as I give…

Deep down inside, I know  I can not out-give God.

But I keep forgetting…

Giving courageously helps us exercise our faith. It helps remind us that there is always more where that came from and that we can never out-give God.

I have been the recipient of some radical generosity lately… and it has been humbling, healing and deeply gratifying…  And it has inspired me to  do all I can to make sure that I can give courageously.

Give courageously… not miserly, radically!

What do you think?

Imagine a world in which we gave courageously, having the perspective that we can’t go to our graves with the material wealth we accumulate.

Epicurius says, “Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance”

What if we focused on what we could enjoy rather than what we have? Experiences and relationships rather than materials?

Give courageously. even radically…

What would that look like for you?

Spending time with someone who needs you when you’d rather run away? Paying a compliment?

Giving offering even after tithing? Volunteering? Going the extra mile? Forgiveness? Sacrifice?

If you are struggling with giving, think about your perspective. Humble yourself. And try again.

In the end, giving is not about materials… It is about energy, attention, focus, time. And what you pay attention to grows…

Bryant H. McGill says, “Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive”

Here’s the secret – Giving is never a one way street.

You can’t give without receiving… Giving creates flow. When you give, you create space for receiving… It’s almost like trying to create a vacuum… Nature abhors a vacuum. When you give,you creating a vacuum and more rushes in… It’s all energy.

And like Mama Oprah says, you are responsible for the energy you bring into a room.

Having an abundance mindset means, knowing that there is more than enough for everyone. If someone shines or gets celebrated, it doesn’t diminish your light… it enhances it. There is enough. You are enough.

You are good enough. You are smart enough. You have everything you need in this moment.

How would your life change if you truly believed this? How will you give? And to whom?

Think about it.

And go… give… radically!

Cultivating Abundance:

1. What is your perspective on abundance? In what ways does your perspective need to change?

2. In what ways do you need to be humble? How has pride kept you from giving courageously?

3. What do you think about giving as energy not materials? What kind of energy do you bring?

4. In what ways have you been a recipient of courageous or even radical generosity?

5. In what ways can you pay that radical generosity forward?

6. What have you been holding too tightly? ‘In what ways can you loosen your grip, or even let go?

7. Who needs you? How can you fully show up for that person today? right now?

 

Love, forgiveness and time are all gifts you can freely give if you choose. It takes the right perspective or mindset, some humility and a whole lot of courage to give of yourself. How will you choose today?  See you next time!

Yvonne Whitelaw  writes for Yvonnewhitelaw.com where she blogs about her quest to grow into her ideals in her “Live Your Ideals Project”. By sharing her Daily Haikus and lessons along the way (most Mondays and Thursdays), she hopes to serve and inspire a tribe of wholehearted  humanitarians, visionaries and idealists like you, to “live your ideals, live your calling and change the world.”