Today's Thursday 13 May. Wow, I got lost this week in travel and a workshop interstate - BUT the giving kept happening.
Day 12 - Monday 10 May: I flew to Melbourne and for the first time thought, I could give a few dollars to UNICEF in the envelope Qantas always put in their headsets! So I did. Small and no feedback of course from the bin I put it in - but it reminded me of a gruff friend of mine years ago, who always gave to beggars, and said: 'It's easy for me - they do it tough.' And I was a bit ashamed of my judgmental attitude and not giving. Mostly since then I have given to beggars.
Day 13 - Tuesday 11 May: my gift, in the leadership workshop I was facilitating with my friend and colleague Steve was to focus on giving positive feedback, lots of it, to the participants. And yes, we always do that. But also, it was good to remember what a gift it is.
Day 14 - Wednesday 12 May: more positive feedback to the workshop participants (who were fantastic, willing, generous, responsive). Also I put another amount in the UNICEF envelope on the flight back, and thought: I could do this every time I fly.
Day 15 - Thursday 13 May: what a gift today! I asked my friend and coaching colleague Kristen, after a long and enthusiastic conversation about a webinar on coaching she is delivering, what gift could I give her today. She said, I'd already given it to her in the willing and positive ear I'd offered her in our conversation! And I promised to give more when I actually participate in the seminar tonight. Giving is such a mutual thing...
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Still hanging in with you, Mike. Yesterday I gave the gift of yoga to someone who has never done it before - an Islander, that is of the Mitchells variety. It's so reciprocal yoga teaching. Did he give me more because I love teaching so much?
ReplyDeleteAnd tonight at the community choir, I gave the gift of my voice to creating harmony :)
Interesting posts Michael.
ReplyDeleteI'm never sure whether or not to give to beggars - I seem to get tangled in thoughts about what are they going to do with the money, do they deserve my money etc. But of course who am I to judge what another person deserves and what has brought them to their circumstance? That's the great thing about 29 Gifts - it takes away the conditionality we usually attach to giving.
/Alarna