Giving Circle

I think we forget that money is a form of the old barter system. We get ourselves all wrapped up in marketing analysis, job promotions, stock options, and visualizing the all mighty dollar. The truth is, it is all a circle of giving and you get as much as you give. Call it perceived value, comes around goes around, or the transference of love. It’s all the same concept.

My church is having their annual Circulation Day this weekend like they do every year in September. It is like a giant garage sale. Everyone brings the stuff they no longer need or use. They donate it all to this event. You can find everything from toys and school clothes to beds and computers. Here’s the really cool part…. even if you didn’t contribute a single item, you can take whatever you like, as much as you like for free. That’s right, it doesn’t cost you a dime. We give it all away. The volunteers in charge of the event always call the homeless shelters and other such organizations to let them know that we are doing it again. People ride in on the city bus and line up around the corner. Some of them have no other way to get school clothes for their children. I have watched women weep when told they really could take the treasures they had found without paying a single cent for any of it. The church refuses to even accept donations during that event and we are not a wealthy church by any means. We are a small congregation with mostly families with very young children and retired elderly people. There are not many wealthy urban professionals amongst us. We do it because it feels so good to do so and it illustrates a very powerful principle.

When you are manifesting new things, you literally have to make room for those things. By clearing out a space in your home for the new items, you are creating a void for the universe to fill. I canno tell you how many times while I was a single mom without money to buy myself a new wardrobe of stylish work clothes, I would clear out a bunch of old things to donate to the other mothers that I imagined didn’t have any work clothes. Sure enough somehow, I would always have a closet full of things to weed through a year later when Circulation Day came around again. Often the clothes were gifts from friends and family who did not necessarily even know that I so desperately wanted nicer newer things. It is a weird concept, because you would think that after you had acquired the new sofa or new pots and pans that then you would give away the old ones. Apparently, on a deep subconscious level, you know that you really don’t need it yet. However, if it is gone, then you have to replace it.

Another rule around the giving circle is that you have to appreciate the gifts given to you. Years ago my son and daughter were really into Pokemon cards. We were really poor and I couldn’t afford to spend a fortune on such things. Finally, one day I had a bit of extra money and chose to spend it on the two people that I loved most. They were both so tickled with their collection of brand new Pokemon cards. They began trading with the neighbor kids and having a wonderful time being included in the most popular game in the neighborhood. Within just a few days, my daughter announced to me that she needed more cards because she had given all of hers away. When I asked for more details, she let me know that she had given them all to someone who already had plenty and she had done it to buy their friendship. I was furious. She had felt left out of the game for so long and then when she had finally been given a chance to play, she gave it away to someone who immediately treated her like garbage. I would have felt differently if she had shared her cards with another child who didn’t have any, but that was not the case. So I explained to her that part of the giving circle is that you have to appreciate the gifts given to you. If I give you a gift and you just toss it away to someone who also tosses your gesture away, then I am no longer motivated to want to give to you. Part of the power of the giving circle is that we deem the person worthy of our gift.

And finally, when one barters they have to equate what they are receiving with what they are giving in trade. Both parties must feel that it’s a win-win situation, otherwise the one who feels cheated, swindled, or tricked will not want to repeat the transaction at another time. Whether you are negotiating a pay raise with your boss or trying to sell goods on eBay, it all comes down to bartering. Does your boss perceive the work you do for them as being a fair trade for the amount of money you are requesting? Does the buyer browsing your product online feel they would be getting their money’s worth if they purchased your old record collection?

The rules of the Giving Circle are simple. You must have a void of some type that needs filled. You must be considered worthy and appreciative of the gifts being given. You have to keep the circle going by giving something else of equal or greater value. You may be a grandparent giving hugs and kisses that spread amongst the entire family and come back to you later from your children. You may be a businessman buying and selling goods and services. You get back what you have put into the Giving Circle. You usually do not get it back from the same person that you gave to. The circle loops around on itself.

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