At the beginning of this year I decided to work on bettering myself through inner work like daily meditations, gratitude journaling, reading self-help books, and truly taking myself out of my comfort zone and challenging myself to grow through those experiences. One of the things that was suggested to me via my new favorite book (keep your eye out for the book review on an upcoming blog post), was to find a way to give money away every day for 28 days. I know it sounds crazy and I have to admit that at first I was definitely skeptical and hesitant to just start giving away my hard earned money. I don’t think I’m alone in this mindset, but what happened over those 28 days definitely changed my mindset.
Now, I know you might be thinking this is crazy. It’s too much work to find a way to give each day. Or maybe you feel like you’re not in a position to give away money because you’re broke or struggling or living paycheck to paycheck. And hey, I was right there with you- I’m the first person to walk right by the person at the table outside the grocery store asking for donations. But this changed me. It changed my entire perspective and now I can’t wait to see that person at the store so I can happily pull out my dollar and put it in their jar.
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I gave for 28 days straight and this is what happened:
1. Mindset shift
The first couple days were interesting. It was almost as if by committing to the project, the universe made it easy for me to get started. That first day I was simply scrolling through Facebook and I noticed that my friend was doing a fundraiser. Wow, there it was, so easy and right in front of my face. So I just jumped in. After that I realized I could just take to the internet each day and search for charities I know of and make online donations.
Soon, I began to get excited about giving. I would wake up and think to myself, “Who will I give my donation to today?” I would search for a worthy cause because I was happy to be helping others and it made me feel joyful. What a total 180 from where I started. I was starting to realize that my small gifts, none more than $10, were not only helping others, they were helping me too.
2. More opportunities in business and life
Offers to do shows I’ve never been accepted to & life experiences I’ve never thought possible were given to me. I got accepted into a highly curated and upper level market that I’ve applied to each season for the past two years. I literally did nothing different, just so happened that I got in. I also learned of a new coaching program, got offered 2 free pop-up opportunities and was accepted to 4 other shows. Coincidence? I’ll let you be the judge.
3. Happier & less stressed
I never would’ve guessed that this experiment would lead to less money stress, but somehow the mindset shift that I experienced was making me happier everyday and putting things into perspective. I realized that I am blessed and live in plenty. Once I realized this, all the stress melted away and I simply trusted that if I’m doing my part to help others, I will in turn be helped when I need it.
4. Part of the greater good
Throughout the 28 days I felt a renewed sense of belonging in society. That what I was doing was helping others, not just myself. I was taking action to better society and it made me realize how integral each of us is to our collective survival. Being an active solution within our society is our only option if we want humanity to continue to thrive.
5. Ended up with more money
When I started the process I was truly worried about the amount of money I would spend. I didn’t budget for giving away money in my monthly personal finances. To my surprise, I actually ended the month with more money in my account because of some extra income I wasn’t planning to receive. But that’s the thing, when you’re giving freely you’re sending out the message that you’re happy to give money instead of hoarding it. Then the universe can tell you know that money comes and goes freely. You have successfully opened yourself up to giving as well as receiving. So these actions show that you’re ready to give and ready to receive. Above all, I realized that no one has ever gone bankrupt from giving to charity.
6. Met new and awesome people
In my quest to give, I attended a few functions that got me networking with other people doing their part to give back. All of these people were high vibe, kind-hearted, welcoming and ready to pass along any and all of their knowledge as well as connect me to other people who could help me. They really didn’t have to do any of that. But it all goes back to community and collaboration. We are stronger and better together. It is the sum of many that makes up the whole.
It’s true, what goes around comes around. What you put into the universe is what you get in return. I’d like to challenge you to try giving for 28 days and see what happens. Let me know how it goes for you in the comments!
Want an easy way to give today? Check out some of my jewelry and If you decide to make a purchase, 10% will be donated to fund life-saving disease research. And you’ll get an awesome piece of jewelry, so you can feel good and look good too! Click here to view all of our collections.
Truly an inspiring message of faith , love and gratitude. I hope everyone read this beautiful message. Thanks Nikki
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