I want to share with you about the power of giving.
It is said that ‘giving is receiving’ and I have found that to be true. I had great difficulty with understanding this concept, and I struggled against it. I now realize, looking back, that I suffered from ‘Poverty Consciousness’, an inbuilt insecurity. I believed that there was not enough to go around, and I feared that people would steal from me.
My Japanese wife is the most generous human being I know, and never goes anywhere without giving some gift. This caused me a lot of irritation and arguments about our need to be so generous to people. Slowly I learned and I consciously make efforts to give everyone a gift, a smile, a kind word, encouragement, a helping hand – these cost no money. I also love to give material gifts, and I love to surprise people, and it comes from the love and appreciation in my heart for that person.
I thought I would give you a gift, which you can give to a child, which may positively influence their lives for ever. It’s kind of like the concept of ‘paying it forward’.
I believe that children are our future. Life is a persistent teacher. It has us repeat the lesson we need to learn again and again, until we learn it. (I must have been a slow learner in my younger years, no wonder I was in the bottom tier of the class!). Now these days I seem to get it.
Here are some ‘gifts’ you can give to children. These need to be given unconditionally.
Teach your children to be eager learners. The gift you will give them as they learn, grow and develop will give them happier and healthy lives, with a desire to make a contribution to society and make the world a better place. This will come back to them as gifts to them and their families.
Teach them to have dreams and to be curious. My 90 year-old mother-in-law (90 going on 20) is so young because she is curious. She still works and loves life. What an inspiration to have in my life. Be an inspiration, and teacher for children. Teach them to love and live life.
Teach them they are important, valuable and loved. (Unconditional love, not I love you if you are a good girl/boy and please me). If they value taking care of themselves, they will have an ability to take care and help others. Teach them to love and respect themselves - the relationship they have with themselves is the most important relationship they will have.
Encourage them to challenge new things, expanding their comfort zone, building their confidence. If they are learning they are growing. If they are growing they’re curious. Encourage them to be involved. Motion changes emotion.
Teach them to love what they do and encourage them to do what they love (this may not always fit your values). And yes, they may make a mistake, but that’s how we learn. I say that if you don’t make a mistake, you don’t make anything.
Let them know they have a choice in all they do. They can choose their attitude and choose their own way in life.
We learn by doing things, even things we are scared of.