The majority of us understand the importance of giving in our lives. In fact, we are taught as children the need to share what we have with our siblings and friends at the earliest age. In this sharing, or giving in return, perhaps we are learning how to appreciate what we have been given by including others and allowing them to also enjoy and benefit. This is a good thing, for it shows us the value of mutual cooperation, and that the real purpose of abundance involves more than just ourselves. We have all experienced those times when we give and share freely and see the joy in another person’s eyes as we do so. There is really no better feeling in the world! It helps us understand the true nature of the heart, and how love shows us the need for interaction, inclusion, and the purpose of group activity. We have every hope and intent that our children will carry this attitude and behavior forward in their lives in all that they do. Unfortunately, as we get older, we lose sight of the necessity of this approach to living, and our pursuits become based on self-interest, and all that we obtain becomes about us, and for us, only. Let’s consider a couple of reasons why this happens, and as we gain understanding, we can hopefully return to “the principle of sharing” as a means to develop our hearts even further, and help others do the same.
Life Is a Creative Process
The whole purpose of life is to learn about the creative process. We get a sense of what we need, and then we find a way to create what we need. It’s really quite simple, my friends. Because we live in a physical world, we of course want to create physical things. This includes money, and all the various objects we gather around ourselves. What we forget is that we are also creating non-physical things, such as improvements to our character, our ability to love, and so forth. These are the things we carry forward, always, and they are not bound by the limitations of time, or temporary life circumstances, such as the physical things we are so focused on. Ultimately, this is what we hope to learn more about and eventually create. Having said that, most of us see the creative process as obtaining those physical things and have that be enough to fulfill our creative needs. If we add to this a firm belief that success in life is based on material success only, then we will spend most of our time acquiring physical things and expecting them to serve a purpose beyond their original intent. Don’t get me wrong, physical things do have a useful purpose and function, such as needing a vehicle to get to work and so on. Once we use the vehicle and see its purpose, that part of the creative process has ended. Now, if you happen to have learned how to create lots of money as well, you will use that money to purchase even more vehicles, in order to prove to yourself you understand how to create! We are now misusing the creative process. We are simply recreating what we already have. In other words, once we have learned how to create something, the temporary sense of fulfillment dissipates, and the creative urge inevitably returns. Our habit is to create the same things over and over rather than finding something new. You can see how we would be unwilling to share what we have created, even though it may be excessive, if we believe these things are required to provide that sense of fulfillment we seek. We know they do not, but continue, nevertheless. Oh, stubborn children we are! We refuse to recognize that our creative process and its intended purpose are no longer working. Now on the other hand, if we obtain another vehicle because someone else needs one, we have extended the usefulness of what we learned how to create for ourselves. Wisdom is always seeing the practicality of it all, an opportunity to give!
A Basic Misunderstanding About Ownership
If the creative process only involves physical things, then we’re going to do everything possible to acquire them in a physical way. This takes money. Obtaining money takes a lot of hard work! Once we do all that, now we can own something. And guess what? Because it took so much effort, we’re never going to let it go! Do you see how we build resentment in what we create? We then spend the rest of our time protecting, defending and justifying what we have obtained. Appreciating what we have, or giving in return, is now less likely, if not impossible. Learning how to create has lost its intended purpose. We can free ourselves from this trap by understanding we didn’t really own what we acquired in the first place. The reality is that the plentiful abundance all around is not created by us, but for us. We learn how to obtain what we need from this abundance through the creative process, but we do not own it. It belongs to everyone. Do you see how much easier it would be to give if we had a different, and more accurate perspective to come from? We utilize what’s already available. The whole idea that we deserve things gives us reason to believe they belong to us. This is unfortunate, for if we believe we are the only one involved in the creative process, we will never appreciate what is given. If we are unable to give back what has been given to us, to someone else in some way, we cannot continue with the creative process. There will be no completion, you see. When it stops with us, only one part of the process has been discovered, we’re only halfway there! You might say, well I have worked hard for what I have, I own it, it is mine. The reality is that what has been easily given to us can be just as easily taken back. This we must understand if we are to have a healthy perspective about everything in life. Again, we do not own what we obtain, whether it be a high paying job, a nice home, power or leadership, we are given stewardship only. Stewardship implies that we are learning how to use what we’re given properly. And yes, good stewardship involves many others, for we never do anything or create anything all by ourselves. We’re in need of a due appreciation. In this way, we will understand the value of the creative process to not be about what is obtained, but what is learned and what’s involved along the way.
Giving and Receiving – Keep the Energy Moving!
We receive and we give. This is the circle of life. It is the completion or fruition of the creative process itself. If we want to understand how this works best, we need to keep everything we create in circulation, my friends. Money serves no practical purpose sitting in banks. An expensive vehicle, covered up and sitting in a garage, has no value. Obtaining power and clout, in order to recreate what we never really needed in the first place, has no usefulness. By all means, acquire what you feel is needed, see its purpose revealed, and let that be the end of it. Give in return, and then see the creative process continue its unfolding. When we allow excess to dictate our purpose and activities, our life energy feeds upon itself, and it will eventually be destroyed prematurely. We have every reason to feel good about success, even financial success. However, if we acquire more than we need, it’s time to teach others how to obtain what they need. At the very least, we can give some of it back, thus allowing others to participate in our good fortune. Our lasting purpose is revealed. We don’t give back through obligation, or because it’s the right thing to do, but because it fills our heart with the wholeness we’re looking for. If material resources seem to be lacking, give of your time, give of your essence. The circle of life expands, becoming ever more inclusive. We keep things moving, moving in a forward direction!
We can teach our children the need to have a proper perspective about what is obtained in life. Whatever is created then, whatever is received, something of equal value must be given in return. Such is the nature of life. Such is the nature of our universe, in which we live, move, and have our being.
All my love and support, be well