Reflection about generosity/charity

Ever since I can remember, my dad has always talked to me and my sister about life, love, giving, family, our dreams...and so on. He would talk so much sometimes that he would actually talk us to sleep....hahaha. When I was in High School, my dad started reading this book,The Heart of the Soul: Emotional Awareness. He gave it to me when he finished but I didn't get around to reading it until I was in UF and LOVED IT! The book is about the importance of being emotionally aware.

Emotional awareness—becoming aware of everything we are feeling at every moment—is one of the most challenging tasks we can undertake. As Zukav relates in the book, "The longest journey that you will make in your life is from your head to your heart." For all of us, that is the unending journey toward spiritual growth, toward wholeness, wisdom, and compassion, and the healing that will allow us to achieve our fullest potential.

Today once again he sent me another thought provoking email, an excerpt that he found on Gary Zukav's website (http://www.zukav.com/home.html)on the catastrophe in Haiti.

Soul Thoughts:
The Haitian people have an urgent need for many of the things that we have, beginning with water, food, shelter, and medicine. They do not need pity, exploitation, or to be used in the service of hidden agendas. During a massive and traumatic event such as this devastating earthquake, the natural impulse is to help, to support, to be there in times of need. This impulse is at the heart of every loving nature and every human being has one. Every human being also has a fearful nature and distinguishing between the two ? between love and fear ? is the subject of this message, this earthquake, and this time of great upheaval not only in Haiti but throughout the world as old ways of accomplishing goals become ineffective and social structures become unstable.
Now is a time to give from the heart, to give with the loving impulse that makes us noble when we choose to act from it, and that gives us meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in return when we do. Only you can tell if you are giving from a loving impulse or from a fearful impulse. It requires some effort and commitment to distinguish between the two ? which is where emotional awareness comes in ? but the consequences that your giving creates depend upon it.

When you write a check for Haitian relief, notice if you feel judgmental of people who do not donate, who turn their backs on those in need (or you think they do). Are you writing your check to create or maintain a self-image that is important to you, or that feels good to you, such as ? generous person? or ?philanthropist?? Are you giving because you are frightened that some day you will be in need and others will not help you? Do you feel guilty because you have so much and the Haitian people have so little? Giving for these reasons is giving from a fearful impulse. Do you give because the suffering that a tsunami, earthquake, or hurricane creates has ignited your compassion, and you realize how cheap a commodity life is in our world after these traumatic events pass, even though the suffering they create persists, as it will in Haiti, and as it does in New Orleans, Darfur, and every inner city where children and parents live hungry and frightened? Do you give because you intend to contribute harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life to the world, instead of discord, competition, hoarding, and exploitation? Giving for these reasons is giving from a loving impulse.

Give with awareness. Give abundantly from your love, not from your fear. Strive to recognize the difference. Give with your heart wide open. Then keep it open. That is the real gift that you can give to Haitians, to all of us, and to yourself.

Love,

Gary Zukav

He asks a lot of valid questions. Questions that I haven't necessarily asked myself but that definitely cross my mind when I hear or see people talking about how much they do for others and what good people they think themselves to be. But then again it's easy to judge others' honesty and true intent for doing good. It's a lot harder to ask myself WHY I participate in the activities that I do. I want to think that I do it because I want to do my part to leave the world a little better than when I found it, especially now with Nico here, I want him to learn that doing good for others is part of everyday life and that it's our duty to contribute to he society around us, not something you do to full-fill a requirement, earn praise, or build your resume. I may be trying to maintain a self-image that is important to me and that that feels good to me. Or I may simply be doing it because i've always seen my parents give to others around us (whether time, help, or assistance).

My dad has rarely spoken about the deeds he's done, the good that he does for people, or the work he puts into to service projects, BUT EVERYONE who has gotten to know him, knows that there are few HONEST, SINCERE, and TRUELY GENEROUS people like him. My mom is quiet around some and a chatterbox around others but is honest, say it like it is kinda of person, and SUPER GENEROUS...sometimes too generous( putting everyone's needs before her own). She might not be known as a philanthropist, but she taught me and my sister through example, what is means to do community service. I can remember traveling to colombia every summer with 3 or 4 boxes of clothes to give to people. One year, a girl my age (11-12) that helped her mom, who worked our farm, told me that my Nike shocks (which I had recently gotten) were really nice. I thanked her and walked away. Before leaving back to the states, my mom asked me to wash the shoes and give them to the girl. I was confused and didn't want to do it cause I really liked my shocks and didn't want to give them away. She told me, GENEROSITY isn't giving what you have EXTRA OF or what you don't want, or need anymore. It's when you give things that YOU WOULD LIKE, or that you have. I was upset at first but the smile on her face made me feel bad about being so self. I never missed the shoes after that day...and a couple years later I got more Nike shoes than I knew what to do with (at UF). I feel lucky to have such great life examples. Gracias mommy y daddy, los quiero con todo mi corazon.