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Christmas ALL YEAR!
Is it me or the older we get Christmas arrives at a faster rate than when we were kids? It is interesting to me that the American society focuses on giving (and getting) during, only, one time of the year. There are five cities that seem to celebrate the holiday all year. They are North Pole Alaska, North Pole New York, Christmas Florida, Bethlehem Pennsylvania and Santa Claus Indiana.
The origin of Christmas is centered on the idea of personal sacrifice. That is, giving of one's self to others with NO EXPECTATION of anything in return. Many years ago some societies taught their people to welcome guests into their homes by washing their feet from the dusty streets then offer them food and a place to stay for the night WITHOUT ANY EXPECTATION OF SOMETHING IN RETURN! This was a, true, act of humility.
 | | Get Over Yourself - Serving Others Serves You |
There's an ancient text that read, "Each of you should give, not reluctantly or under compulsion..." I struggled with this concept for a long time. When someone did something for me I felt compelled to try to give back. These days, I say "Thank you!" That is the law of reciprocity. A definition of reciprocity is "a mutual exchange; rewarding kind actions; trading favors; social obligation." Reciprocity as a form of social obligation calling for future acts kindness can be seen in the Japanese word for thank you, "sumimisan," which means "this will not end"
Dean Rieck writes, "The Rule of Reciprocity firmly states that we are all bound - even driven - to repay debts of all kinds. Someone does something for you. Then you feel obligated to repay. It's an almost automatic reaction. Cultural anthropologists Lionel Tiger and Robin Fox go as far as to claim that we live in a "web of indebtedness" and this web is central to the human experience, responsible for the division of labor, all forms of commerce, and how society is organized into interdependent units. Therefore, Reciprocity is a deep and powerful principle that, under the right circumstances, is all but impossible to resist."
Consider GIVING JUST TO GIVE!!!
What if we, as a society, practiced the Spirit of Christmas, ALL YEAR? Here is what I think it would look like:
-People care more about giving of the time, talents and treasures (money) than receiving the same.
-People look for ways to share instead of bargain.
-People go out of their way to do MORE than is expected.
-People would not give to get...they just give to give.
- Young people would GO OUT OF THEIR WAY to share in the responsibilities around their home.
-People would respect the elderly because of all their accumulated wisdom.
 | | Give Yourself A Fresh Start! |
There is a hidden benefit to GIVING. YOU WILL RECEIVE in ways you cannot imagine. Don't give to get but when you develop of habit of giving you open up your mind and emotions to realize blessings in your life that you cannot imagine!
Be a, DAILY, giver and watch your life change!!!
"I believe in you!"™
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