“Every time you come from a place of, “I need to get X” today, flip that impulse around and make it about giving.”
“For example, if you realize you’re out of toothpaste, instead of focusing on getting some, focus on giving the drugstore your business; on giving the employees a smile and a hearty “thank ye mucho!”; giving thanks that you have the money, bodily ability, and transportation to make the dental adventure happen; on giving your teeth the love and attention they deserve, etc.”
“Do this all day with everything and take note of how that flip
shifts your energy, your focus, and your results.”
I super, uber-love that quote from Jen Sincero’s You are a Badass Every Day! Go back and read it again. Go on, I’ll wait here.
I read it often and love the way it feels when I let it seep into my bones!
When I was a kid and people told me it was better to give than receive, I thought they were NUTS! As far as I was concerned nothing beat tearing the wrapping paper off a gift!
And don’t get me wrong, to this day receiving a thoughtful gift that conveys the message that the giver knows you – REALLY knows what makes you smile and goes to the trouble to get that for you – is a great joy that uplifts my heart tremendously, splendiferously, fully and completely!
But that joy is tiny when compared to giving a gift that lets the recipient know that you see them, you know what makes them smile and went to the effort to make that smile happen. My kids are grown now, but when they were little, I remember the sheer bliss as I watched them open gifts on Christmas. I still try to get them each one thing that lights up they’re face because seeing them light up feeds my soul.
So when I read the Jen Sincero quote above, it really struck a nerve. What if I can bring that feeling of giving to every aspect of my life? How cool would that feel?! And my next thought was “I want my whole life to feel like giving!”
So now I try to embody this idea.
And I say “try,” Master Yoda, because sometimes I DO, and sometimes I just forget and fall back into the habit of going after and getting what I need. This is the familiar vibration most of us have known since growing to adulthood got us user-focused on the need to GET enough money to pay our bills. It’s a process.
Developing the vibration of a ‘getting’ mindset took decades. Allow yourself at least a month to practice the giving mindset described by Jen Sincero, and see what feels different for you. What BETTER time to practice than from Thanksgiving Day until the new calendar begins?
I want to get new clients, so I focus on giving people my attention and listening skills. I focus on what they are wanting or needing and which parts of that are within my power to give, or which parts I can at least give them resources for that can help them move in the direction they desire.
I give hints and tips about how I am navigating life’s waters in the hopes that people take comfort that they are not alone in their story, or that they find ways to overcome whatever may be weighing them down or holding them back.
When I want to get something, I give something first.
I need to get information? I give curiosity and kindness to those who may have it. I need to get groceries? I give a cheerful greeting to all that I meet and lend a hand to a vertically challenged person that wants to buy something on the top shelf. I need to get car repairs?
I give my mechanic and his staff my friendly attitude, my money, and referrals!
Grow on!
What do you most need to get right now?
How can you think about that from a perspective of giving?
What will change for you when you shift from a mindset of getting to giving?
