The Hidden Power of Giving

You've probably heard the phrase "It's better to give than to receive". But do you know why? What is the hidden power of giving that makes it so prooundly wonderful?

Think of the last time you gave someone a gift with no expectation of reciprocity. How did it feel? No doubt you felt happy knowing that you've made someone else's day. It's this expression of your power to give joy to anyone at any time.

And I'm not talking exclusively about material gifts; you can always run out of money, but you can give of yourself endlessly - you time, your love, your experience, your shoulder, your ear.

But besides making your spirit swell with good feelings, the act of giving altruistically also sets in motion an invisible ripple of more selfless gifts that will eventually come full circle. Yes, your good deed will boomerang in amazing and sometimes surprising ways.

I'm sure you've heard of, or maybe even experienced personally, a favour done for you by someone whom you'd helped in some way in the past, or even someone who was inspired by your giving ways. And that's just one of the many ways your gift will come back to you.

When you give selflessly, no matter how small the deed or gift, you release good vibrations into the world - feelings of love, respect, gratitude, fellowship. You enlarge your world of people who would lend you a hand whenever the need arises; more importantly, motivated by your attitude, these people are more likely to spread this act and message of selfless giving to others in need.

This doesn't mean that you give only in expectation of this kind of reward - it's simply your contribution to the preservation of good feelings in this world, and that is no small thing. In a world where many lives are lived in poverty, war, hatred, and intolerance everyday, even one small candle can light up the dark.

Also, just imagine what all these good feelings are doing to your heart and your health!

So go forth and give, but bear this in mind, the hidden power of giving is only truly and fully unleashed when you give secretly or in private with no expectation of any reward.

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Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd