Joy or happiness is a state of mind. It is a feeling that keeps people healthy and fit. There is a famous quote ‘The more you give of yourself, the more you find yourself.’ There are many reasons why giving is important. It is a way to show appreciation, to say thank you, or to show someone you care. Sometimes it is hard to express true feelings in words, but offering a token of appreciation will not only represent your feelings, but will allow the recipient to know how much you appreciate them. There are many people that we come across in our everyday life that perhaps make our days easier, such as neighbours, co-workers, even mail carriers or the local cashier at the grocery store. While giving does not always have to be a gift, offering a kind word or a friendly smile goes a long way in saying thank you for all you do, and will encourage the chances of a friendly and successful relationship.
Giving food to the needy, items of use to a family whose house may have burnt, even monetary donations to a children’s charity can make a huge difference. Giving is an important trait to teach children. For example, if a child helps pick out a gift for a family member who is having a birthday and presents them with this gift, it teaches them to be unselfish, how to share and to appreciate the pleasure of giving to others. Teaching by example is the best way to show a child how to give, not only gifts but in other ways as well. Visiting someone in the hospital, sending a thank you, get-well card or congratulations card, even Christmas cards are excellent ways to teach a child the importance of giving. Time, gifts, cards or words of kindness all are a part of giving. A manager who gives time off, bonuses, or other incentives to his employees for a job well done will definitely reap the joy of giving. Giving is all about getting or in other words, the more you give, the more you receive.
Kahlil Gibran has well said, “I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy.”Yes, it is a secret barter where we give something that we have and receive happiness without asking for it. However, when we give something, we should not expect anything in return. One should give with all of one’s heart, and forget about it. The funny thing is that we’re most happy when our act of giving has no selfish motives. The dictionary glorifies giving as “disposing of property by voluntary transfer without receiving value in return. “Giving and helping people is what everyone should do. Generosity is nothing but the habit of giving. Blessed are those people who are generous and believe in the joy of giving. It’s definitely an act of philanthropy that spreads happiness and peace, and lets goodness prevail in the world!
There are moments in our life when we start realising the true meaning of life and its impact on others. One such feeling is ‘joy of giving’. At times, we realise that gaining or acquiring some ‘gain’ gives less pleasure than ‘parting away and giving it to a destitute/someone who is really in need’. It gives immense pleasure which one can only experience but it is very hard to explain. And one good thing is that one is never at loss by sharing. It is also a hard fact of life that ‘pursuit of attaining something in excess’ leads us to nowhere and ultimately causes stress. Sharing is not all about money or wealth. Generosity is only one of the aspects. It is about kindness, helpfulness, unselfishness, sacrifice, giving, service, love, etc. Few words of sympathy can cause a tremendous effect. Jesus also said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” When we do good to others, we receive great happiness.
There is a certain joy in getting something. That’s the joy children experience when they get things like toffees and toys. Parents and grandparents feel happy when they give. The joy in giving is much more fulfilling than the joy of receiving.
When we see a good movie, for instance, we tell everybody about it, even recommending that they must see it. The movie-maker is not giving us any commission to do that! We just feel that our loved ones should have the same experience. Or an elderly lady who cooks different dishes for her grandchildren derives an enormous happiness
from doing so. People who give, experience more happiness than people who receive. Graduating from the mindset of taking to that of giving purifies the mind and brings immense joy.
In the words of Winston Churchill “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”If we think of how we can be useful to those around us, we can never get depressed. People who get depressed do not know this. They get depressed because they keep thinking only about themselves. If they start to give or serve, they will notice that their depression has vanished.
Tapas is the endurance of discomfort or restraining the senses. The practice of knowledge, wisdom, meditation, yoga, pranayama and fasting, all come under tapas. If you are unhappy, one way to get out of your sorrow is tapas. Tapas is being in total acceptance of the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant.
All three, yajna, daana and tapas, purify our minds, consciousness and actions. They are, however, not one-time actions, but are to be done repeatedly and made a habit.
Whenever we get an opportunity to be useful, we should embrace it. If, despite our meditation and other practices, we feel discomfort, we should do something to bring happiness and comfort to others. Giving is essential for spiritual growth. Willingness to share what we have and to help others without expecting anything in return, is called seva. Seva connects us to others. It dissolves barriers that separate our happiness from their happiness. We can serve others in endless ways.
Serving in whatever possible manner we can, whether by contributing our time, donating money or just by speaking about positive things, change our consciousness. Let’s ask ourselves, “How can we be useful to people around us, and to the whole world?” Then our hearts start to blossom. The best seva is helping someone understand this eternal nature of life.
Life is a journey, moving from the joy of taking, to the joy of giving. The Joy of Giving Week in India runs through Oct 2nd to Oct 8th. There couldn’t be a better day to start than Oct 2nd, which is also the International Day of Non-Violence as it is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who’s known to have used non-violent sacrifice and selfless giving so that others could have freedom and peace. This special week is an effort to revive the human values and an opportunity to remind us that our spirit rules over matter. Joy of Giving is an event that celebrates humanity. There are people and organisations around the world that promote the spirit of giving, and have even assigned different days for this purpose. Not only nations, but all religions of the world believe in giving and being generous, and emphasise on selfless service. All human beings should adopt charitable behaviour as part of their integral personality.
Giving to charity is one aspect of caring and sharing. Nevertheless, we can do that individually too in various ways while we celebrate the joy of giving. When we share something we somehow connect to others in many ways. It’s a God like trait. ‘Giving’ can make a difference to others and in turn we achieve a sense of empowerment, pride and accomplishment. To conclude, in the words of Mother Teresa, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into
giving.”