A GENEROUS HEART

There are two kinds of people. Those who live in fear and those who live in love. Many of us toggle between the two states. A fear based person appears to be very cheap and withholding. I say "appears to be" because they really don't usually want to be that way. They come from lack. They have what is called a "poverty consciousness". The core belief is "I will never have enough". And so they count every penny and they worry all the time. They let their minds go down a very dark road of thoughts that say things like "I won't have enough to live on in the future; there are rich people and then there are the rest of us poor folk; I will never make enough money".

Belief systems are the key to prosperity and it is something that you can start working on this minute. The beliefs that you want to incorporate are "there is more than enough for all and there is enough for me; I make good financial decisions; I am able to receive more money; I can keep and manage money well"

Ironically how can you keep your money and also be a generous person? This is a common conflict for many. In those moments when we are feeling especially good and giving we might tend to give too much and later regret it. The reasons behind giving are important. Often gifts of love are really done from obligation and it looks ugly. Our faces are crunched up as we give resentfully.

Rule #1: Don't give unless it is truly from your heart
Rule #2: Maintain a connection that feels spiritual. However you define that for yourself is good enough. NOT religious. Spiritual. If you have no connection then that is where you need to begin.
Rule#3: Check in with yourself when you are feeling generous. If it's truly from a loving place and you are doing it because it makes you feel good to do it and you EXPECT NOTHING IN RETURN, then go ahead and do it.

When I feel conflicted about giving to a cause or preparing food for someone, or doing a favor, I dig deep within and I explore why I am doing this. On the one hand we want to say YES to everything because that means we are seizing opportunities. On the other hand we want to say NO to set some limits and boundaries and to not be used by others for the wrong reasons.

It's complicated. Giving and receiving are complicated. Know yourself and find balance. Learn by making mistakes and make a mental note that "I won't do that again". There is nothing wrong with having a generous heart but the next time you perceive someone as "cheap" then realize that they are coming from fear about their own survival that usually is not based in reality. You may not be able to help them but you can work on your own fears and beliefs. The more you open yourself up to receiving and feeling comfortable with what you have been given, the more you will receive.