Wednesday, May 28, 2008

A Sense Of Giving - By Tony Grant

Over the past two weeks, I have seen (and indeed created) a situation that has provoked much reaction. It is not my intention to expand any further on the actual details of that situation but would instead like to consider some resultant thoughts.

Throughout my life, I have had a tendency to be generous in my actions. This generosity has not necessarily always been mine to offer and I have perhaps sacrificed some future stabilities for those moments of giving. However, as one man is willing to give, another is willing to accept and soon a life can become biased towards giving or accepting rather than attaining a more reciprocal balance.

As I seek meaning in my life, I have reviewed many and varied written and audible offerings on abundance or personal growth. Throughout these readings, one message appears to be clear, that an open heart and a giving mind is the key to receiving your just rewards. This teaching also appears to extend to a nature of generosity and selflessness.

However, could it be that a giving nature in fact serves to attract taking by others, is generosity juxtapose to receiving. The readings did seem to suggest that one should progress through life with the sense that money would be attracted to an abundant spirit and that this spirit should not be stifled by thoughts of financial shortage, as this would merely attract more of the same. However, as a wallet opens, the opportunities to dispense of its contents increase, yet there does not appear to be any direct correlation to increased income to replenish those diminishing resources.

Of course, the books could be talking about richness of mind and spirit rather than in purely financial terms but unfortunately, the scene appears to be the same. You open up your emotional bank and commence the dispensing of good will. Very soon, you can find that those emotional reserves have depleted in the same manner as with your financial well being! At this time, you might turn to those who have made withdrawals and request some advance from their very own reserves, only to find that their bank is closed for your business.

This might be painting a bleak perception of human nature and not entirely how I would wish it to be portrayed. Whilst it is inevitable that some people will drift (or be pushed) from your life when your demands or actions become extreme, others will unselfishly raise their levels of support and show examples of true friendship. I know that survival through my recent journey has placed pressures upon those close to me and in most cases, I have received a level of support that is beyond any I could have expected. Having said that, I do believe that those most willing to give are often those least willing to take. In some way this then puts me on the other side of my very own analogy, being an inadvertent depleter rather than the giver as was my nature.

Perhaps the ultimate destiny is therefore to attempt to be more balanced in generosity, become grateful to receive yet equally open to giving. Accept that it is generally not the intention of any person to merely take as self-satisfaction is more commonly derived from acts of selflessness. Maybe I cannot turn the tables on my past actions but hopefully I will continue to learn from my life and seek to attain a balance that is fairer to those closest to me or indeed any that might have chance to know me.

For this occasion only, might I suggest that as with yours...

My future deserves!

Tony Grant
www.apassionforsuccess.com

Author's Bio

Tony Grant is a UK based Consultant focussing primarily upon employment and self employment with a motivational and personal empowerment bias. Tony seeks to deliver an understanding of success in a clear and concise manner, without the mysticism and frills of so many current offerings.

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