Opening our Hearts to Mindful Giving

Do we give for the right reasons? Is it to touch a life without any expectation of anything in return? Selfless giving is the purest form of love there is and is understood by every human being on the planet. It only takes a small selfless act of kindness or compassion to touch someone.

Take a few moments to think about those desires and needs that can't be bought. They have no price tag attached. It's a gift so special it touches the heart and has such a direct impact on our lives that it transforms us in some way to becoming a better person because of the lesson or meaning associated with it. Our greatest moments in life are those that touch our heart and soul and are filled with LOVE, COMPASSION and KINDNESS. We can give and receive these moments without even opening up our wallets in most cases.

Can we fill the true void and calling that is in all of us? We tend to fill the void by buying more for ourselves and others. This brings instant gratification but only to find the "fix" wears off quickly and the vicious cycle of buying more continues. This endless process does not fill us with the true inner gratification that we desire. To find the true meaning of giving, we have to look beyond all of society's programming and conditioning. Are we up for the challenge? Meaningful and conscious/mindful gift giving takes a deliberate shift in our mindset.
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How can we make a difference? Here are just a few ways to practice mindful giving:

• Share your time and talents by volunteering for a cause close to your heart.
• Spread acts of simple kindness to everyone. A smile, holding a door, paying someone a compliment and the list goes on and on.
• Donate items to charitable causes.
• Become a member of a global online community activist network that looks at pressing global and national issues. Ways in which you can help include: signing petitions, writing letters, sending emails and making phone calls to government officials, and/or giving funds for causes that are important. Avaaz is a great example, as well as UNICEF, United Nations Children's Fund and Save the Children, which all fight for children's rights, survival, development, protection, and to provide hope for a brighter future.

Give to causes that promote individual and community sustainability. KIVA is a world-wide non-profit microfinancing organization that empowers people through loans to create opportunities that enhances their and other's lives in their communities. You can make a donation yourself or give as gifts to family and friends for special occasions for as little as $25. This gift keeps giving. Once the loan is paid back, you are able to provide another loan to someone else, continuing the tradition.

Care is another great example of creating opportunities for communities. This organization reaches 95 countries and helps in supporting over 880 poverty-fighting, development and crisis projects. I really like the care packages that can be purchased in their "lasting change project". Do you have upcoming occasions or celebrations? Birthdays, weddings, etc? You can purchase one of these care packages in honor of someone. The packages are filled with items based on a person's needs, such as: food, water, farm and/or school supplies.

• Throwing a party and prefer no gift giving? EVITE and Pledgeling make it simple! Use EVITE to create and manage your invitations and guests can donate to a charitable organization directly from your invitation. For more information, visit www.evite.com/c/evite-donations. If not using EVITE and people insist on bringing a gift, suggest a donated item for a specific local charity.
• Making homemade treats and gifts for loved ones instead of purchasing store bought items.
• Buying products from small local business owners that support and sustain the local economy.
• Purchasing gifts and goods globally for the socially conscious like the UNICEF Market or NOVICA. Your purchases help impoverished areas become self sustainable. NOVICA sponsored by National Geographic is an internet based marketplace for the world to buy the handmade goods of those that are recipients of previous Kiva loans!

There are so many choices out there. So let's open our hearts to giving freely and touching the lives of others.
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Have a mindful giving story? Would love to hear from you below!