I have been so inspired this week by a lady, who shall remain nameless, but whose actions defy logic, and, have shifted me to another level. The lady in question has been hit hard financially by the current panic-demic. Yes, I wrote panic-demic, not pandemic. She works for herself and the vast majority of her income has dissolved due to the panic. She is an amazing lady with a strong Christian faith and belief that everything will be okay. In fact, as a result of this faith, she did something so extra-ordinary, it blows my mind.

Keep in mind, this wonderful lady has two daughters and a business that requires her to be working to be earning. She explained she had lost about 90% of her income. I believe it is picking up now, but still she needs money to live, right? Out of nowhere, and she calls it ‘God money,’ an envelope full of cash somehow found its way onto her front doorstep. It was truly a miracle for her. Now, what would you expect she did with that money? Go out and buy some food? Pay the rent? Pay some bills? Buy some shoes? Well, she did none of those things. What she did, amazed and inspired me beyond belief. She gave the money to someone, whom she believed, needed it more than she did.

Wow! All I can say is wow! What an incredible display of generosity and faith. Her faith is so strong that she knows, even giving away money she really needs, she will be okay, and, will be provided for. As she was telling me this story, I could hear the joy in her voice and I could feel the strength, power and benefit her act had given her. There is a powerful gift in giving that you actually receive, even when you don’t think you have anything to give. That gift is self-worth, self-love, self-fulfilment, more joy, significance, better wellbeing and more abundance in life.

So inspired was I, that I started seeing where I could give. It came to me as I was talking to many organisations about doing some online seminars during COVID-19, to help their people get through. As I was speaking to HR people, I was continually confronted with the same issue; the business had lost significant revenue, had laid-off lots of people and had no budget for my services. Then it came to me, I started offering a one-off session to these organisations and waive the fee. The expressions of acceptance, relief and gratitude started to come back to me and, it feels amazing. So, now I have booked several sessions with these groups, and I know I can help them. It feels wonderful to give, not expecting anything in return. I feel happier, healthier and more inspired as a result of this giving. The gift is most definitely for me.

So now, I want to throw this back to you. If you are feeling flat, stressed, fearful or anxious, what can you give? When you feel like you have nothing of value to share, what can you give? If you are feeling great, and you are already giving, what else can you give? You may not have money to give. You may not have time to give. You may not believe you have anything of value to give, but you do. Could you give of yourself? Could you give a smile to someone who looks sad? Could you give a word of encouragement to someone who is feeling discouraged? Could you give some expertise to someone who doesn’t know what you do? Could you give a compliment to someone who is doing great things?

There is never a time when we don’t want to receive love, support, encouragement or praise. Therefore, there is always a time to give. I want to encourage you to give something to someone every day for the next week and then let me know how you feel, and the gift you received as a result. Take my word for it, giving to others will provide wonderful gifts for you.