Pre-Show Summary:
The holidays are fast approaching, and it seems to be one of the most stressful times in our society today. From the richest to the poorest, everyone is anxious, not only about what to offer, but whether the recipient will love it. If giving or gifting was about buying and offering something to someone, what should the poorest of the poorest offer? What has giving and gifting really turned in to? Who really benefits from today’s dogmatic way of giving and gifting where people are feeling pressured to break their bank accounts? Giving and Gifting today seems more like self-indulgence and vanity. What happened to the wisdom of “Giving to the Needy” by Matthew 6:3-4. It states: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…” Not only can you give and gift with nothing in secret, but no one is too poor to give the right way!
Post-Show Summary:
No one is too poor to give.
The notion of "Best Gift" presupposes that there are several types of gifts. One can classify gifts in two categories: Tangible and Intangible. Tangible gifts are known to most. They are the things that one can see, touch, smell, taste, or hear with our physical body’s senses. When one goes to the store to purchase a gift or takes any of their personal possessions to offer to someone else as a gift, such gift is what we called tangible. The intangibles are the things that we cannot see, the things that no amount of money can purchase. The intangibles are the things that cannot be measured, counted, or purchased in direct exchange for money.
The two categories of gifts are also inline with the two aspects of life on earth in general: The Physical and the non-physical. The non-physical are things that cannot be experienced with our physical capacity, that is why they are generally labeled and referred to as “beyond” meaning “beyond the physical perceptive capacity.” While everyone talks about the things that are within the physical capacity with a somewhat decent understanding, everything from the beyond is filled with confusions to the point that some people no longer believe in it. This has led to a divide where things that are beyond the physical capacity are relegated to the realm of imagination or fiction.
We have witnessed a real volition by some to disassociate all non-physical from the public spheres. For instance, the separation of church and state. The direct misfortune of this way of thinking is that people didn’t see the difference between two notions: religion and the spiritual. People consider both to be the same even though they clearly represent two different things. Religions are institutions just as any other earthly institutions whereas the spiritual is another aspect of life that transcend religions, affects everyone, regardless of whether they accept it existence.
The Paradox of our society today is that, on the one hand many people want the separation between government and religions yet on the other hand, the same people enjoy religious holidays. Most families have gifts exchange ceremonies during holidays, and that have become part of their traditions. Gift exchanges around holidays are predominant practices in most western cultures and primarily in western countries. This also goes beyond families and expands in other social settings such as workplaces, including the same public places where religions are prohibited.
In most poor countries, people don’t have the luxury of choice to engage in gift exchanges, so they are content with sharing a good meal in a festive manner during holidays. Just like anywhere, the gifting seems to always take place around religious and secular holidays.
The question that arises from such universal observations is whether gifting is supposed to be a seasonal thing. In addition, one must wonder what motivates people to give in the first place, and why only give during holidays. Is the feverish seasonal gifting the right time or way of giving? Is there a way of giving or gifting that transcends seasonality.
In my very first Episode entitled "How to reach your natural flow of Happiness", I mentioned that everyone received a talent as a gift. I further expanded this concept in Episode 007 entitled "How did we get here". In that episode, I briefly explained that there are two types of lives, one conscious and the other unconscious. We left the spiritual realm also known as Paradise as unconscious spiritual germs and each one was given a talent or gift. One fundamental purpose of our individual life is to identify our talent, nurture it, let it blossom, and share it with others. This is the reason why I mentioned earlier that no one is too poor to give. Not only everyone has a gift but everyone is a gift to the world so long as they live a life that is in conformity with God's Will that manifests itself inthroughout the entire creation as the Laws of Creation.
The very first gift.
When the desire to access consciousness became strong inside the spiritual unconscious germs, this automatically expulsed them from Paradise. This expulsion itself is the first gift that was given to us because it contained the promise to consciousness. Even at this early stage of our own existence, we had to give in order to get. We had to desire to access consciousness in order to receive the promise. Please note that, we only received the promise to access full consciousness. In addition to the promise, each one of us was given a talent as a gift. I really want to draw the listeners’ and readers attention on the manifestation of one fundamental Law in Creation. The Law of Giving and Receiving. This Law states that one must give first in order to get or receive. This is clearly stated in the Bible when it states in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and you shall receive”. Our own Life journey was triggered by “asking” to access consciousness through our desire. The expulsion from Paradise is the accomplishment of the Law because it shows us receiving the promise to access consciousness as a result of our ask (desire). In addition to the promise, we also receive a talent that will further help determine the type of activities that we should eventually engage in, once on earth.
First Journey: From Paradise to Earth
As we descended further in regions below the spiritual kingdom, we also received several cloaks that enveloped the spiritual germs. These cloaks are made of the same substances as each of the regions that we travelled through on our downward journey. These cloaks are known here on earth as bodies. The first cloak or body that we received was from the animistic kingdom and once the spiritual germ was covered with this cloak, it became a soul. A soul is the spiritual that is covered by the animistic substance. Going downward, the second cloak or body was the ethereal body, and finally a material body as we know it. We can learn from our first Journey from Paradise to earth that one always received in abundance, in other words, the Law of Giving and receive always return in abundance. This can clearly be observed on earth today. When you plant one grain of corn, you receive hundred-folds in return. The Laws are consistent throughout the entire Creation and they unfold in a natural and simple manner without exception.
Given everything that we’ve said so far, we can now deduct that no one came to earth empty handed therefore everyone has something to give and no one is too poor to give. Every single human being on earth has a talent and bodies. Our earthly body serves as a place to host us and our talent, it is also a tool that one must properly use to further develop their talent. Since giving is the first step in receiving, those with the desire to return one day to Paradise must identify their talent, nurture it, make it blossom, and give it to the world. Our talent is intended to benefit us and others therefore it is important to identify it and bring it to maturity. Nature, through the cycle of evolution teaches us the proper way of giving. A seed that is planted goes through several phases before it reaches maturity. Once it reaches the state of maturity, it feeds many. So is the purpose of our own talent. It needs to go through the same cycles up to maturity so that it could benefit us and others. There you have it, something that everyone can properly give without exception.
While some are desperate to disassociate the spiritual from our daily lives, such attempts are doomed to fail. The gap created by the ignorance of the spiritual aspect of life could never be filled by anything else. Individuals who spends their limited and valuable time on earth only to satisfy their physical being will never find fulfillment. As I have mentioned only promises are fulfilled. The promise of reaching spiritual consciousness can only be fulfilled spiritually. The physical elements that exist, whether our body, money, houses, and other earthly possessions are nothing but the necessary tools that are given to us to further develop our talent and doing so while enjoying the process itself.
Giving is always Good
To avoid any possible misunderstanding, I am not against buying and giving things away. Giving is always good so long as the intends, the motives, and the purpose behind such actions are genuinely pure and without any expectations in return. The simple fact that many people engage in a frantic giving exercise at once shows that people are not giving properly. When I drive for Uber and Lift, I listen to countless conversations and what I’ve learned is that most people are superficial with the way the go about their lives. People tend to do thing simply because other people are doing it, because they want to conform to social norms, they want any sort of attention, so on and so forth. Everything could be summarized in one simple word: Vanity.
The modern Robin Hood scheme.
Lets look at corporate charity that is admired and celebrated in our society today. We have some corporations that act as the modern robin hood. People that are actively working to help the company generate money are cheaply paid. Workers even struggle to make ends meet because of the low wages that maximize corporate profit. The same corporation will engage in well publicized charity donation for a cause just to clean their public image. This for me is not any different from stealing from some to give to others, and that is why I call it the modern Robin Hood scheme. I think their charity will have meaning if they pay decent wages to their workers, and then ask their workers if they want to make contributions of gifts towards a cause that moves them.
Avoid Excesses In both Giving or Receiving
Going back to the fundamental Law of Giving and receiving, one must also avoid excesses either in giving or in receiving. We should learn to only give in proportion mainly the tangible gifts to avoid making the receiving party exclusively dependent of such gifts. We should never lose sight on the fact that everyone has a talent that was given to the them as gift therefore our giving should contribute toward helping them further develop their own talent. It is only when we don’t engage in excess whether in giving or receiving that we maintain balance or harmony. In addition, our gift must really serve a clear purpose that only benefits the recipient, satisfies their need, all without expectations from the giver. The minimal expectation that one can place on the recipient is the need for effort. In other words, the person who receives a gift should have exercised personal effort towards accomplishing something. The best and much appreciated gift always come when the recipient reaches the states where an external contribution could make a difference toward an accomplishment. Gifting in these conditions generate a true and genuine feeling of gratitude towards the giver.
How to Give: Secretly
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…” This passage from the Bible provides us with clear indications on how to give. When you give, do so in secret. In contrast with all the gifting ceremonies that take place today, this is the one advises that most don’t follow. Nowadays, most givers seek admiration and recognition and the only way to get that is to give in public. The notion of public should be considered in its broader context meaning even in smaller settings as family, work, meetings, and any other social context. The need for secrecy between the giver and the recipient only takes place when the transaction takes place between the two in addition to those who need to know. We must always preserve the reputation of the person who receives a gift. When we give in secret without drawing any unnecessary attention on ourselves, we afford the opportunity to the recipient to claim full ownership of the gift. It should be up to them to let others know that they received such gift from someone else.
The Ultimate Best Gifts
The ultimate best gifts that we can offer to others are things that money cannot buy. If we truly develop our own talent and then live exemplary lives, that alone is the best gift there is and the best way to give. By becoming the best human being possible, we serve as model for others. Now those who are striving toward personal and spiritual growth can look up to you as evidence of what is possible. That image or impression that we create on others will serve as a blueprint toward bettering themselves. You become a source of inspiration that is more powerful that anything that money can buy and that transforms the world beyond your own wildest imagination. In society, you naturally become powerful in the sense that the Law of Attraction will enter into effect. You will attract individuals with similar desires, they will be open to learning how to become like you. A simple sentence such as “envision your best self and work towards becoming that” can transform the masses. Sometimes, you don’t even have to say a single world because many will secretly observe and get inspired.
Real-Life Story of the Best Gift and the Best Way to Give
Here is a real-life story that illustrates everything that was said about giving and gifting by being. The dentist student. The other day I went to drive for Uber and Lyft as I always do. This day, my passenger was a young man who was going to school in a local famous university. As usual, I like to engage and meaningful conversations with my passengers. He entered the vehicle and sat in the passenger back seat and we drove away. The drive itself was not far but far enough to hold a good conversation. I proceeded start the conversation that went as follow:
· Me: So, what do you do?
· Passenger: I am going to school
· Me: What are you studying?
· Passenger: Well, it’s a long story.
· Me: Ok, I really want to hear it.
· Passenger: I am going to school for dentistry
· Me: What made you chose that
· Passenger: I always wanted to do something to help people and I like art as well. First, I wanted to become a Doctor. As I was going to school, I had an opportunity to shadow few Doctors. I struggled when I noticed that most patients only spent a certain amount of time with their physician and it didn’t seem personal. One day, my mother suggested that I shadow a dentist. I resisted the thought, but my mother encouraged me and reassured me that there was nothing to lose. If I didn’t like it, I can always do something else. I agreed and ended up going to shadow this dentist. I saw a man who genuinely loved his job. The chemistry between him and his patient was amazing. He seemed to really like and enjoy his work and treated everything that he did like art. Just by observing him I knew without any doubt that this is exactly what I wanted to do. This was the perfect combination between my desire to help and art that I truly like. That is why I chose dentistry as my field of study and I really like it.
Clearly, the dentist gave to the young man something that is possible. He did so in secrecy and without having to spend money.
We can all do what the dentist did anywhere and any day. We can give by being and inspiring others even when we are unaware. When we engage in becoming a source of inspiration for many, we are truly giving by our own presence. Not only our giving goes beyond seasonality, but it becomes timeless. But above all, we become a true gift to the world.