How can we cultivate a spirit of giving?

…Instead of that murky-urkey feeling of giving that comes from have-to and should.

…But rather that full-hearted, no strings attached, type of giving.

When I am in a spirit of giving, I am in a space where my cup is overflowing.

I, personally, have not been there lately.

But I know what it takes to get there…

It requires a period of selfishness.

What?!?!

It is very hard to give when we do not feel good.

Feeling good = cup overflowing.

Imagine your last flu… or time that you were sick, were you able to give anything to anyone?

The same goes for when we are tired or sick.

Or when our gut health is poor.

When we lack our health, it impacts our capability to give.

So yes, tending to ourselves first is selfish in the short term but it is the foundation of entering into a pure state of giving.

Whenever I notice that I am not giving, I take it as a sign that I need to turn in and take care of myself.

(Honestly, this last three years of having a child has left my cup rather empty; me giving to anyone other than her has practically not happened).

Spirit of Giving

I am right here in the building phase again, working towards cultivating my spirit of giving. That selfish phase where I need to invest in my own self-care so that I can openly share smiles with strangers again.

• I am focusing on eating more regular meals (my tendency when my cup is empty is to skip meals lately).

• I am focusing on drinking plenty of water (and not too much caffeine).

• I am prioritizing me-time where I sit and talk with myself, preferably in nature.

Are you feeling the spirit of giving?

How is your cup?

How much self-care are you doing?

Self-awareness and relationship to self are part of what I coach on in my Food and Mood Program.