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Giving is a
miracle that can transform the heaviest of hearts. Two people,
who moments before lived in separate worlds of private concerns,
suddenly meet each other over a simple act of sharing. The
world expands, a moment of goodness is created, and something new
comes into being where before there was nothing.
To often we
are blind to this everyday miracle. We build our lives around
accumulation--of money, of possessions, of status--as a way of
protecting ourselves and our families from the vagaries of the
world. Without thinking, we begin to see giving as an economic
exchange--a subtracting of something from who and what we are--and
we weigh it on the scales of self-interest.
But true
giving is not an economic exchange, it is a generative act. It
does not subtract from what we have; it multiplies the effect we can
have in the world.
Many people
tend to think of giving only in terms of grand gestures. They
miss the simple openings of the heart that can be practiced anywhere
with almost anyone.
We can say
hello to someone everybody ignores. We can offer to help a
neighbor. We can buy a bouquet of flowers and take it to a
nursing home, or spend an extra minute talking to someone who needs
our time.
We can take
ten dollars out of our pocket and give it to someone on the
street. No praise, no hushed tones of holy generosity.
Just give, smile, and walk away.
If you
perform these simple acts, little by little you will start to
understand the miracle of giving. You will begin to see the
unprotected human heart and the honest smiles of human
happiness. You will start to feel what is common among us, not
what separates and differentiates us.
Before long
you will discover that you have the power to create joy and
happiness by your simplest gestures of caring and compassion.
You will see that you have the power to unlock the goodness in other
people's hearts by sharing the goodness in yours.
And, most of
all, you will find the other givers. No matter where you live
or where you travel, whether you speak their language or know their
names, you will know them by their small acts, and they will
recognize you by yours. You will become part of the community
of humanity that trusts and shares and dares to reveal the softness
of its heart.
Once you
become a giver you will never be alone.
Simple
Truths. Kent Nerburn
A very nice, simple collection of thoughts and reflections on many
of the aspects of our daily lives that most of us take for
granted--possessions, giving, love, money, travel, and many
others. Very readable and thought-provoking, and well worth a
read.
Visit
Kent's site at kentnerburn.com!
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