The Gift is in the Giving


I have to be honest. I made the woman cashier at BIG! LOTS cry. I had shopped and gathered three baskets full together at the check out line and she just kept saying "This is so emotional". I just kept encouraging her by acknowledging that she was playing an important part in making a lot of people very happy, that she was participating in an essential act of charity.

I rarely make people cry when I shop, but today was something special. I had checked my "Giving" jar and found it quite full since I'd been on vacation last month, so I called one of my favorite charities to find out what was on their wish list. Then, I went shopping.

I wanted to have my money make a difference on their behalf, so I went to a discount store. As I went through the store, I was thinking of the abused women and children who didn't have the luxury of going out to buy what they desired. I was on a mission of charity on their behalf.

As I took my carts, one after another, to the main checkout stand until I finished, I told them about my mission. Other shoppers came over to ask about what was going on as I checked out. I shared the story with them and they began to get excited, too.

When I delivered the bags of treasures to the organization, they were surprised. The woman I'd spoken to on the phone, Lisa, said she had no idea when I'd called that morning that I intended to do this. Then she said, "It feels like Christmas! It's so exciting!"

As I was finishing my purchase at the store, the cashier thanked me for making a difference in her day and for teaching her more about the importance of charity. She said she was going to go home and tell everyone about me, about what I'd done.

As the man from the store helped me out to my car, he asked me "You're really giving this all to charity?" Then, we began talking about the children. I told him that the children of the world need to know that life can be good and generous, that they can have their dreams, and that there are people out there who really care about them.

Every small act of kindness and charity can make a huge difference in life. We all need to know that we are counted and that we are visible. Even when we cannot be seen.

It's important to remember to give on a regular basis. It just feels good to be generous with an open heart. Giving is the other hand of our receiving to be in the flow of life. We must continually give to keep the flow coming to us and to expect to receive that flow in return for what we contribute.

Now, the truth is every gift, especially those of charity, should be given for fun and for free with no expectation of reciprocation. However, having done our part we are absolutely entitled to expect the Universe to increase our flow as the result of what we give out!

We all have something to give - a smile, a kind word, a loving gesture, a helping hand, a bouquet of flowers, a phone call of care, and, yes, the financial prosperity that we have been blessed with.

Charity is a commitment we can make each day to reap great rewards. Giving is an affirmation that we believe in the limitless abundance of the world - a powerful affirmation that we know there is always enough for everyone, including us.

It's important to know that we count and that we make a difference in the world around us. Give freely, give gratefully, and give with joyful anticipation of all that you are about to receive!

YOU deserve it!

Debbie Friedman, M.S., C.Ht., is the Manifesting Maven who helps people consciously create the life they love to live. She is the creator of the popular Cleaning Out the Closet of Your Mind for Wealth series.

http://www.cleaningoutthecloset.com





Latest News:



Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news
Myanmar's Suu Kyi to get family letters, news mags (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has managed to wring small concessions from the ruling generals in the form of letters from her family and some international news magazines, her lawyer said on Friday. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (CBS News)
A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel 's current news flow, was picked up by a Google (NSDQ: GOOG) News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. After a lot of buck ... JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (AP via Yahoo! News)
French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. News Corp tightens grip on Premiere with new CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Rupert Murdoch tightened his grip on German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere by appointing News Corp executive Mark Williams as CEO in a move to get the company back on track. Phila. mayor to announce grim budget news (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Nutter administration is expected to announce grim budget news today, which is all but certain to lead to significant spending cuts - perhaps as high as 10 percent - in some city departments, according to three sources familiar with the budget. Help News pick Stadium's greatest moment (New York Daily News)
The News is marking the countdown to the final game at The House That Ruth Built by reflecting on Yankee Stadium's greatest moments - and we're asking you - the reader - to help us pick out the best of the best. JCDecaux and News Corp. in talks to combine outdoor ad groups (International Herald Tribune)
The News Corp. chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, has recently expressed nervousness about investments in Russia, where News Outdoor generated the bulk of its revenue last year. SEC Looks Into UAL Stock Scare; Implications For Online News? (paidContent.org via Yahoo! Finance)
A ton of digits have been devoted to this in other spots but the SEC's decision to investigate takes it to another level. The backstory: a six-year-old news story about UAL declaring bankruptcy made it into the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel's current news flow, was picked up by a Google News bot and, via a reporter for a newsletter, made it onto Bloomberg News. JCDecaux in talks to buy News Corp. billboard unit (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
In a deal that would create the world's largest outdoor advertising company, French conglomerate JCDecaux SA said Thursday that it is in talks to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. News Corp says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
News Corp. executive Mark Williams has taken over as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere in an interim capacity, News Corp. said after the move led to renewed takeover speculation.

Site: news - Google News
Palm Shares Soar As New Smartphone Wins Wall Street Praise - CNNMoney.com

CBS News

Palm Shares Soar As New Smartphone Wins Wall Street Praise
CNNMoney.com - 4 hours ago
The stock price has nearly doubled over the last two days since the company announced its new Pre smartphone and WebOS operating system at the Consumer ...
Palm's new smart phone steals the show MarketWatch
The pre's got Mojo: a developer speaks about Palm's new SDK Ars Technica
Palm's new Pre smartphone gets lots of good buzz USA Today
Kansas City Star - CNET News
all 723 news articles
Live-blog: Obama news conference on Intel choices - USA Today

FOXNews

Live-blog: Obama news conference on Intel choices
USA Today - 5 hours ago
The news conference is now set to get started at 10:45 am ET (though Obama has been known to begin things early). Hit the "refresh" button, ...
Video: Analyst Weighs in on Obama's CIA Pick AssociatedPress
News Analysis A Difficult Road Awaits Panetta at the CIA New York Times
Obama appointments...Illinois debate...Truce call ignored ... Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck
USA Today
all 3,325 news articles
Obama: New layoffs show need for urgent action - The Associated Press

BBC News

Obama: New layoffs show need for urgent action
The Associated Press - 4 hours ago
If it works better than something I've proposed, I'll welcome it," Obama told a news conference. He spoke shortly after the Labor Department reported job ...
Video: Obama: New Layoffs Show Need for Urgent Action AssociatedPress
Breaking News: Barack Obama is the next President of the United ... Christian Science Monitor
US Senate Democratic Leaders Outline New Agenda Voice of America
WDEF News 12 - The Black Chronicle
all 5,752 news articles
More news from your region - MSNBC

ABC News

More news from your region
MSNBC - 3 hours ago
By EricShangraw They're officially calling for the Governor's head in Springfield today.Driven by anger and politics, the Illinois House voted to impeach ...
Video: Burris Reflects on His Trip to Washington AssociatedPress
AP Top News at 11:44 am EST The Associated Press
Governor impeached...Stocks lower...No ceasefire | KXNet.com North ... KXMC
Bloomington Pantagraph - WGIL Radio News
all 15,892 news articles
Health Buzz: Flu Drug Failure and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report

Health Buzz: Flu Drug Failure and Other Health News
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 3 hours ago
U.S. News tells you how to keep your family safe from bird flu. Oprah Winfrey's very public battles with her weight continued this week, ...
Bad news for UGA fans: Florida is just getting started - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Seattle Post Intelligencer

Bad news for UGA fans: Florida is just getting started
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - 4 hours ago
For fans of the Georgia Bulldogs, I have some bad news and some WORSE news today. The bad news? Florida, your hated rival, just won its second national ...
If it's settled on the field, USC wins; Pac-10 news, notes & links The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
BCS Title Game: The News Media Predicts New York Times
News and Notes from Halftime of the BCS Title Game ABC Action News
The Morning News - The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
all 6,367 news articles
FDA Mismanagement, Gaza?s Ambulance Runs and New Support for a ... - New York Times

OverTheLimit.info

FDA Mismanagement, Gaza?s Ambulance Runs and New Support for a ...
New York Times, United States - 3 hours ago
A Long Island man who donated a kidney to his wife says he wants it back now that they?re getting divorced, The Daily News reports. ...
Business news in brief Philadelphia Inquirer
all 181 news articles
New Classmate PC all about ?ecosystem? - ZDNet

New Classmate PC all about ?ecosystem?
ZDNet - 1 hour ago
We?ve known for a while that Intel was working a touch-enabled reference design for their new Classmate PCs. It wasn?t until I had an opportunity this week ...
Commodore Announces Launch of New Computer Products Series at CES 2009 - CNNMoney.com

Commodore Announces Launch of New Computer Products Series at CES 2009
CNNMoney.com - 2 hours ago
Commodore® (PINKSHEETS: CDRL) today announced the launch of an exciting new series of computer products at the Consumer Electronics Show 2009 in Las Vegas, ...
Foreign Ministry: China supports new UN resolution on Gaza - Xinhua

WELT ONLINE

Foreign Ministry: China supports new UN resolution on Gaza
Xinhua, China - 11 hours ago
China called for effective implementation by all parties concerned of the new resolution and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Qin noted. ...
Video: UN pushes for Gaza ceasefire RussiaToday
AP Top News at 7:12 am EST The Associated Press
New UN Gaza resolution proposed Aljazeera.net
International Herald Tribune - Jane's
all 37,535 news articles

MORE RESOURCES:
Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for happiness
'Harvest Moon' sows little happiness at 10 (USA Today)

Originally launched on the Super Nintendo, the "Harvest Moon" series of video games is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the release of "Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness" for the Nintendo DS. Unfortunately, unless you have extreme patience, you will not experience much happiness with this software title that suffers from difficult controls and tedious game play. Gretchen Rubin: Balanced Life: Happiness Project: Dig deep. (HuffingtonPost)

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you should have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit.... Taller people have the edge when it comes to happiness (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Taller people are happier on average than shorter people, with each extra inch in height giving as much satisfaction as a four percent increase in income, according to a U.S. study. The price of happiness? £365 a year I'd say (Times Online)

In Birmingham once, I was given a peek inside a majestic Victorian bank that had been closed for years. It's probably a dodgy nightclub now. In which case, its new punters may be a little startled by the stern admonishments emblazoned on its marble walls. ?Thrift radiates happiness? one declared. Pursuit of Happiness (The Moscow Times)

The upcoming theater season is guaranteed to be full of the usual thrills, spills and creative performances. John Freedman reports. Ben Lewis proposes that jokes had a role in the end of the U.S.S.R. Famous Comedian's Cousin Says Happiness is Half Genetic (PRWeb)

Rima Rudner, first cousin of top standup Rita Rudner, says the reason some people are happier and more fulfilled than others is at least 50% in their genes. "This does not necessarily mean that a woman who wears size 4 jeans is happier than one who wears size 16 jeans," says Rudner, author and happiness coach. "It means that happiness can be as hard to achieve for a genetically unhappy person ... Happiness and Wellbeing at Work Conference (Australian Policy Online)

Follows the success of last year's conference including seminars and workshops facilitated by some of Australia's leading experts on psychology, leadership and workplace relations, The aim of this conference is for our expert speakers to provide strategies that will allow the mindful leader to create solutions for generating increased productivity through the dominant value of employee ... Happiness is a daily special at Island Soul Caribbean Cuisine (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

A visit to Island Soul will put a smile on your face thanks to its friendly servers and a menu that plays like a greatest hits of the Caribbean. When happiness means more than money (The Kansas City Star)

Midcareer job changers may be the nation's best hope to fill an estimated 1.5 million teaching vacancies expected in the next 10 years.But $50,000 a year may be the magic number to entice most of them to the profession. The science of happiness (Los Angeles Times)

Being happy has always seemed like a good idea. But now science, with research to back it up, can finally show us how to get there. True or false: Site: happiness - Google News
Spirituality, not religion, makes kids happy - MSNBC

United Press International

Spirituality, not religion, makes kids happy
MSNBC - 2 hours ago
By LiveScience staff The link between spirituality and happiness is pretty well-established for teens and adults. More spirituality brings more happiness. ...
Study: Spirituality adds happiness to kids United Press International
all 4 news articles
Twitter hacked with 'happiness' - MX Logic

The Tech Herald

Twitter hacked with 'happiness'
MX Logic, CO - 6 hours ago
By 11 am Eastern Time the next day, he was in Crystal's account, thanks to the password of "happiness." By hacking the Twitter staffer's account, ...
Hacker used 'happiness' to access Twitter accounts Los Angeles Times
Twitter Hacker Says Admin Password Was 'Happiness' Wired News
How They Did It: Britney's Vagina-Hacker Tells All Defamer.com
Heise Online - Softpedia
all 44 news articles
For Porter, NFL players, happiness is not a warm gun - Examiner.com

Examiner.com

For Porter, NFL players, happiness is not a warm gun
Examiner.com - 4 hours ago
by Mark Knudson, Colorado Sports Examiner I have to admit it. I thought it was cool when Colorado State running back Gartrell Johnson did the chest bump ...
Ten Ways To Be Happier Now - Forbes

Ten Ways To Be Happier Now
Forbes, NY - Jan 8, 2009
It might seem that happiness is in short supply these days. Still-slumping housing prices, bleak consumer spending, high unemployment and a recession are ...
Changing the pursuit of happiness - Georgetown News Graphic

Changing the pursuit of happiness
Georgetown News Graphic, KY - 8 hours ago
And one thing I have learned is I believe what everyone wants is happiness. In fact, that is what the Constitution guarantees, or at least a pursuit of ...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News - United Press International

UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
United Press International - 22 hours ago
The study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Happiness Studies, found that spirituality, or an inner belief system that a person relies on for ...
Spreading happiness with breezy jazz - Long Beach Press-Telegram

Spreading happiness with breezy jazz
Long Beach Press-Telegram, CA - 18 hours ago
It promotes happiness." Pizzarelli performed with the Long Beach Symphony Pops in the fall of 2007, but this time it will be just himself on guitar and ...
Buses Won't Buy Happiness - City Watch

Buses Won't Buy Happiness
City Watch, CA - 13 hours ago
By Charles Tarlow In an article about mass transit (CityWatch: ?Want More Riders? Offer a Better Ride?) the author suggests we should selectively increase ...
Letter: You?ve brought happiness to our residents - River Falls Journal

Letter: You?ve brought happiness to our residents
River Falls Journal, WI - 15 hours ago
Thank you for putting smiles on their faces and happiness in their hearts. You have all made their holiday season a happy one! ...
'Giving Tree' leaves happiness for holidays - Stoughton Journal

'Giving Tree' leaves happiness for holidays
Stoughton Journal, MA - Jan 8, 2009
By Kate Sullivan Foley Two days before Christmas Eve, Immaculate Conception Church in Stoughton looked a bit like Santa?s Workshop at the North Pole. ...
Home | Site Map | Resource Links