“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Kahlil Gibran
Beyond the Quote (118/365)
Once a group of 500 people were attending a seminar. Suddenly the speaker stopped and decided to do a group activity. He started giving each person a balloon. Each person was then asked to write their name on it using a marker. Then all of the balloons were collected and put in another room.
The people were then let into that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written on it within 5 minutes. Everyone was frantically searching for their name, colliding with each other, pushing around others and there was utter chaos.
At the end of 5 minutes no one could find their own balloon.
Then, the speaker asked each person to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.
The speaker then said, “This is happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is. Give them their happiness; you will get your own happiness.”
This is one of the paradoxes of giving—you also receive. In fact, I don’t think it’s possible to give anything without receiving something in return.
In the example above, the obvious exchange is giving a balloon to get a balloon. But this isn’t just about material exchange; giving an item to get an item. What we’re talking about is what’s received internally: contentment, accomplishment, good will, happiness, maybe even fulfillment when you give.
Those feelings are real. And those are the exact feelings that so many of us are chasing when we’re frantically looking for silly material items. The experience isn’t about getting the balloon with your name on it—it’s about what you feel when you give and receive that balloon; what you feel when you help somebody else; what you feel when you do something nice for another.
What you feel is more real than anything you can ever put into your hands—certainly more real than a silly balloon. It’s easy to get it twisted and to put material items on a pedestal. Items are tangible. They can be touched and they can be seen and experienced by others. Feelings are abstract. They can’t be touched and they can’t be seen or felt by others.
But, when you look closely you start to see beyond the illusion of the tangible and notice the realness of the abstract. Was it the balloon you were after? Or the feeling you got once you gave or received the balloon? Is it really ever about the flowers? Or is it about the feeling you get when you give or receive flowers? Is it really about the presents? Or is it about the feeling you get when you give or receive the present? It is and always has been about the feelings.
When you understand this your entire perspective about material items shifts. It’s the items that are actually what’s abstract and it’s the feelings that are actually what’s real. This is why an item given to one person can produce completely different feelings for another. It’s not the item that changes—it’s the interpretation of what that item means coming to them how it did. Are you getting it?
This is why a small rock to one person can be more meaningful than a diamond to another. It all has to do with the purity of intention, the effort behind the action, and the state of the receiver. Want to produce more feelings of contentment, accomplishment, good will, happiness and fulfillment in your life? Focus on what’s real.
Focus less on items and more on feelings. Give away those exact feelings that you most want to feel yourself just for the sake of giving them. Don’t expect them in return and don’t keep score of how much you gave. Let what’s real ripple out into the world and change the landscape of your life. Items won’t do that because they’re illusions. Feelings will because they’re more tangible than any item. Give illusions and so too shall you receive illusions. Give something real and so too shall you receive something real. Never forget it.
Read Next: Top 10 Giving Back Quotes
Don't Let the Motivation Stop There...!
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