The ACT of Giving

Giving our time, energy, and attention to others is such a vital, meaningful activity. Not only does giving help others, but it provides us the opportunity to go beyond the self, beyond the ego, and

do whatever is needed in the moment.

Sometimes when we offer to help someone or volunteer to an organization, we start to offer advice or impose our own will or ego on the activity or tasks at hand. This is not volunteering. This is not really giving. This is trying to inflate the ego by showing how smart we are or how right we are. If we offer to help someone or an organization, we can frequently ask “What can I do to help?” and “What else can I do?” This does not mean doing things that we believe are immoral or illegal or in opposition to our deeply held values. We are always free to say, “I am not willing [or able] to do that for you. Is there something else I can do to help?” But if there is any way we can do what is asked, without imposing our own will or complaining, we will truly have the opportunity to go beyond the self, beyond the ego. When we give in this way, we are not looking to get anything out of the activity or task except the acknowledgement that the task has been completed. This does not mean we will never complain inside our own minds. While helping others I have sometimes thought things like, “This is a disgusting task” or “I have too much in my own life to do” or “Why should I help others when I am in need?” or “I thought this would make me happy.” In the spirit of the heading of this blog, the ACT of giving is what counts the most. We can just watch our thoughts, maybe even chuckle at how whiny our egos can be, and redirect our attention back to the task at hand, back to the moment, back to giving. In this way, we become meditative as we watch our minds do their endless thinking while our hands and actions do the giving.

I wish you great success in the act of giving.

~ Michelle Ryng