WHAT DRIVES SOME ACTS OF GIVING?

Giving- From the heart or for likes? What should be the right attitude towards giving? The need for recognition? Expecting another gift in return?

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Giving is part of life. It makes us happy when someone so thoughtful gives us unsolicited gifts, doesnt it? It makes me happy to give my time, energy, resources to people too. I become happier when I see the reaction of those I have given to; the smile of appreciation is enough for me, whether they remember to say thanks or not.

Giving from the heart--This happens when you are not asked nor compelled to give. Giving from the heart entails that you put other people's need ahead, whether you have so much to give or little. You realize that giving will go a long way to help them and you just give. Although some people may abuse it - behaving like it's your job to give them every time but never let that stop you. Some may not understand when you don't have anything to give, they may make comments that show ingratitude for the past, do not stop giving when you have.

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Social media has made it convenient for people to perform acts of goodness and post them to gain followers. Prank stars make a living from it- you know, giving gifts to people and filming and posting how it happened. They ask you to follow if you appreciate what you saw them doing. There is one who goes to a mall, asks different people if they are following him. If he finds a follower, he asks him/her to buy anything within a set number of minutes, and at the end he pays. All are posted. The receivers are happy with the gift that they don't care if they are posted online. That's not giving from the heart. It has intentions. You can give without seeking for social validation

However, your job may demand that you perform acts of kindness and film it. Some years ago, some crypto enthusiast hunting for Karma token were tasked with submitting videos of different acts of kindness to earn the token. Some did from the hearts, some likely may have staged it but all were recorded and submitted to earn. That is understandable if you ask me. It's just temporary, not a habit.

Moreso, if you work in a charity organization and are sent to orphanages, prisons, even Schools to distribute some items, you may need to bring back report in form of pictures or videos. That's beyond you, it's your job description. But as far as it depends on you to make the choice, giving should be from the heart, without calling attention to yourself or hoping to be given in return. What do we have that we did not receive?

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In my opinion, giving that stems from the heart is kindness. When I see those in need and I help them, I feel I have made not just the receiver happy but God. One day at the close of work, I found a child crying and two parents were standing with him and asking him "don't you have a guardian in this School?". "Go and tell your Guardian". I heard they commanding the boy but the boy replied amidst sobs "I have no guardian, am new here". The parents said sorry to him and walked away.

After watching from a distance, I called the boy and asked why he was crying. He told me that he had lost his transport fare home. I asked him if he told those women asking, that he lost his transport fare. He replied in the affirmative but instead, they told him that they are sorry if he has no guardian. How much does this little boy need to go home? Just N900.
Although I reprimanded him for being careless and advised him on how to show more appreciation for the money his parents give him daily. But I gave him N1000 to go home. Was he supposed to remain in School because he had lost his money and has no guardian?

You can imagine the joy that boy felt when I handed him the money. He also came to my office the next day to thank. Giving makes you happy. Giving that comes from the heart. But giving because you have something to gain from the receiver, or to be recognized and applauded is not giving. It is selfishness.

Giving does not necessarily mean you have items to spare. It could be your time or energy. Sometimes, there may be an old woman in the environment or in your church whose children have left home. Visiting to run errands and assist with chores is also part of giving. Visiting a sick friend to help out with minding her kids or doing laundry for them or staying by her bed side to share in her pain and also to encourage her are all parts of giving. How selfish would it be if all these act of giving- your time and energy are done with an ulterior motive to earn something in return or filming them just to gain followers!

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EXPECTING SOMETHING IN RETURN?
If I found out that someone gave me a gift because he wanted something in return, I won't appreciate the gift anymore. I would also reject gifts from such a person and each time I try to give him, I would let him know that I am not giving because he gave me in the first place.

Some parents give teachers gift because they want them to treat their children specially. That's wrong. The children are ours to take care of. I am collecting my salary for the job, I do not need any thing from parents to do my job. And if I teach the child well and the impact is felt, let their heart move them
to appreciate, not before the job is done and it's not solicited for. Else, that's a bribe 😄

Life is short, we need to spend the little time we have doing good and making people feel better. It definitely will make them happy and feel loved if they find that our kindness was done out of empathy and love, not out of selfish intentions. Let's continue to perform little acts of goodness, practice giving from the heart, selflessly and remain blessed by He who sees the heart.

Thanks @hivelearners, I am glad to hop in after a long time.🙈

Thanks guys for stopping by. I appreciate.