In life, when someone wants to give to charity they believe that they need to give big, but most are forgetting the real point of giving. Not all of us have the ability to give like the Oprahs or Jolies / Pitts or Gates of the world. But, it's not how big you give that matters, its how you give on an everyday basis that really counts. It's fairly easy to write a check and mail it to a charitable organization. It's a whole other thing to go to a homeless Shelter and give of your time.
I have come up with "26 Ways to Give Small and Get Big Results," to try and make a difference in your spiritual life and in the lives of others. Some of these small ways of giving might seem difficult or take you out of your comfort zone. Some may even feel unnecessary, but trust me they will make quite an impact on others as well as yourself. Believe it or not, it's the little things in life that really make an impact. Many of these ideas may not necessarily be new to you and some may even cost you a few dollars, but hopefully they will serve as a reminder and I guarantee the overall spiritual wellbeing you will receive will far outweigh the cost. I encourage you to do an act of spiritual kindness every day. It does not need to be big, just do something small, but do something both and every day.
1. Buy a gift for someone you do not really like or someone that rubs you the wrong way. And, make it a personal gift, something that you know he / she will really enjoy. And here's the kicker – do it without them knowing the gift was from you!
2. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister. Big Brothers / Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. They have been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Big Brothers / Big Sisters mentors children, ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. Volunteer at a Big Brothers / Big Sisters near you.
3. Leave your change in the office vending machine for the next person. You will make their day!
4. On a hot summer day, hand out bottles of ice cold water. Visit your local park, senior center or recreational area and just hand out bottles of ice cold water. There will be appreciation on everyone's face.
5. Donate some time to tutor at a local school or community college.
6. When you take your morning walk bringing a trash bag and pick up litter in your neighborhood.
7. When your spouse returns from a hard day's work, have a bath ready with candles, rose petals in the water and soothing music. And have dinner catered by a professional chef.
8. Help your older or sick neighbor with their yard or help with an errand. Mow the lawn, rake leaves, shovel snow, or buy groceries or walk their dog.
9. When the mailman visits offer an ice cold glass of lemonade or hot beverage in the winter. Tell them how much you appreciate them and the service they provide.
10. Properly prepare for your garbage collection and appreciate the sanitation engineers' work and an ice cold six-pack for after their shift will not hurt.
11. Volunteer to coach a boys / girls sports team. In every community, boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets. An increasing number of children are at home with no adult care or supervision. Young people need to know that someone cares about them. Boys & Girls Clubs offer that and more. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competency, usefulness, belonging and influence. Visit a Boy's Club or Girl's Club near you to learn more.
12. Go to your child's school and be a teacher's assistant, one day a week. Spend more time with the other kids in the classroom; spend only a little time with your child.
13. Leave a special note in your child's lunch box letting them know how much you appreciate and love them.
14. Tell someone why you love them and why you appreciate them. Be specific.
15. Visit the Dollar Store and purchase umbrellas and give them out during bad weather.
16. Spend quality time with the sick or elderly. Visit a local nursing home or senior citizens center. You can read to them or take walks with them. Show them that someone still cares about them.
17. If you have a place of business, offer refreshments (I recommend healthy organic snacks) for your customers. Fresh fruit instead of sugary foods, bottled water instead of carbonated beverages and tea in lieu of coffee.
18. During the holiday season donate toys and clothing to the local homeless Shelter. Do a neighborhood get together and get your neighbors to contribute. Barbeques in December are the best.
19. Create a photo DVD with music of family memories. Create one for each family member and show it after Holiday dinner.
20. Always drive safely and courteously. In heavy traffic, always let someone merge into your lane. Do not get mad if someone cuts you off. They're clearly in a rush or just poor drivers. They do not mean to hurt you. Their actions mean nothing to you. Wish them well.
21. Forgive the actions of someone who has offended you.
22. Give praise to someone each day; learn to appreciate the good in others.
23. Next time you buy lottery tickets, buy an extra ticket and give it to the cashier. No strings attached.
24. If one of your friends or co-workers ask you to buy a candy bar to support their kid's football / soccer / sports team purchase the entire box and give the candy away.
25. Next time you go out to eat and have a meal with less than acceptable service give the server an extra large tip. They could be having a bad day, brighten their day with a thoughtful gift.
26. Take $ 20.00 and give it to someone, for no reason, just give it to them. Buy their gas, pay for the couple behind you in line at the movie theater or purchase coffee for the car behind you in the drive through. At the grocery store leave the money for the next customer.
I challenge you to come up with your own creative ways to give small. You can give anyone, not just someone poor or homeless. Give even to some rich person. Maybe it might be just what they need; some spiritual enlightenment.
There you have it "26 Ways to Give Small and Get Big Results." For the next 26 weeks use one small spiritual give a week. It is not going to be easy. You will get resistance from your ego as well as some who will be offended by your charity. Just stay the course and be humble and let whatever happens be okay. Do your deeds of spiritual kindness with humility and compassion without recognition or praise. Create your own ways of giving by finding ways to give small and I guarantee you will be spiritually enriched.