When I was a kid, my morning routine involved getting up at the crack of dawn and doing my farm chores. One of my favourites things about that was being mobbed by the animals.
As soon as I would crack open that old barn door each morning, they’d come running toward me, almost knocking me over in the process, like I was some long-lost relative.
It didn’t matter whether it was the goats, pigs, puppies, or chickens. They were all gathered around me within an instant of my arrival.
Of course the reason they treated me this way was because, most times, I came in carrying a bale of hay or a couple of buckets of food.
I had something to give them.
The funny thing was that if I came into the barn without food, they’d react the same way.
Humans are the same.
We humans share a similarity to my former furry and fine-feathered friends. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself).
We’re generally happy to see someone when they are giving us something.
Sometimes that something is on purpose -- they are giving us a gift, or a prize, some help or advice or even a hug. When we get those things, we’re usually pretty happy.
And sometimes people give us something without them even realizing it. Just their mood or personality brings us happiness like a bright light entering a dark room. We perk up and come to life when we see them.
Think of your grandmother, for instance, and how when you were a kid, she showered her love upon you for just being you. You gave her something, you were wonderful in her eyes.
Giving is power
Think about the people who are happy to see you. Think about why.
What do you give them?
Think of how kind most people are to you when you’re giving them something. I say “most” because there are always those few who are the takers, no matter what.
I’m talking about that majority of people who thank you or are kind back to you.
I’m not suggesting you become some manipulative person, only giving things to people with the idea of getting something in return.
I’m suggesting that you develop a giving attitude. See and benefit from its positive effects.
You don’t really need to think about the benefit part because I guarantee it’s going to happen. That’s why the people who you know as “givers” don’t talk about that.
They know that the more you give, the more you get. Plus they really enjoy giving and are probably pretty content with their lot in life.
My suggestion for you is that you go forward thinking, “How can I help?”; “What can I contribute to here?”; or “What can I give of myself that will make things better?”. Do this with everyone you come into contact with. You can do it whether it’s something you get paid for or not.
Why?
Well, if you’re a little superstitious, there’s the old “what goes around, comes around” thing; and then there’s the idea of trying to make people’s lives better in some way wherever you go, which is pretty darn great.
But the real benefit of this is just like with my former animal friends-- (Yes, I know, twice would have been too much) -- people will be happy to see you. They will want to be around you and they will come to you, or maybe even hire you, when they really need help with something or there’s a problem to solve.
Not just because you can resolve a situation, but also because you make them feel good while you do it. They also trust you, which you can read more about here.
And being giving is not that hard. You just have to adopt the attitude. I’m sure you already do it with some people.
Think about it. Who do you like to be around in your life?
The choice to give is yours.
