As a young child when I first heard the quote: “It’s better to give than to receive” I didn’t quite understand the meaning. It felt far better to receive than to give. I mean what kid doesn’t like receiving presents?
It wasn’t until I became more spiritually aware that I truly understood the saying. After all, the secret to true fulfilment in life is… GIVING.
I often hear people say – “If you are in a position to help someone you should”. Although I agree with this statement to some extent, I also believe the words “in a position” imply that you are not already in the position to help, when in fact we are almost always in the position to give back to our community in some way.
Our self-limiting beliefs may tell us that we are not in the position because we don’t have enough money, time or influence and we may therefore put off helping others until we feel that we have enough. The truth is you may never feel as though you are successful enough which means you may never experience the pleasure of helping others.
Giving back to your community will not only allow you to enrich the lives of others it will enrich your own heart and nourish your soul.
Your contribution to making the world a better place does not have to require money or even much of your time. There are so many ways you can help your community. Let’s take a look at some of them:
Ways you can give back to your community
- Shop online – That’s right! You can shop online whilst also giving back to your community without any extra cost to yourself! Give as you live allows you to choose the charity you would like to donate to. Everytime you buy something through one of the parcipitating retailers Give as you Live will donate to the charity of your choice. Participating retailers include ebay, Tesco and Debenhams. You don’t have to do anything except shop!
- Donating money to charity – If you can spare a few quid each month to donate towards a cause you are passionate about then it can make a huge difference to people in need. There are so many charities and causes that need help. The charity you decide to donate to is down to your personal preference.
- Volunteer – voulunteering allows you to get hands on expereince helping others, meet like-minded people and make a positive impact in the world.
- Consider what you already have – If you are about to throw away old clothes, books, toys or anything else that isn’t general household waste. Stop right there and think twice. Can someone else benefit from the things you no longer need? Just remember – “What’s one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
- Be neighbourly – take a look at your surroundings and become aware of the people within your community. If you see someone that needs help such as an elderly man/lady carrying their shopping then help them.
The Benefits of giving back
By giving back to your community you can expect the following benefits:
- Get to know others on a more personal level and create deeper connections.
- Gain a new perspective on life and grow as an individual.
- Develop a deeper meaning and purpose in life.
- You will receive abundance in your own life.
Things to bear in mind when helping others…
Helping others is fantastic and the majority will graciously accept your offer of kindness. But you also need to bear in mind a few things before deciding who to help…
- Not everyone will appreciate your help
There are some people who may deem your offer to help offensive. Therefore, you need to think carefully about how you will approach these people if at all. Focus mainly on helping the people who you know will need your help within your community such as food banks, and other charity organisations.
- There are people who may take advantage of your kindness
Unfortunately, there are people and bogus charities who may take advantage of your kind nature and willingness to help. Therefore, it is important to keep your wits about you. If you are helping an unknown charity be sure to do your research before investing your resources. When helping individuals bear in mind that not everyone is as they seem.
Conclusion
When you give back to your community you will have the opportunity to change lives. In return, you will receive a great sense of purpose and satisfaction. Your acts of kindness may even have a positive impact on generations to come.
Aim to be the star in someone else’s darkness and light the way to a better community and in turn a better world!
