Deliberately Giving Money Away

02 Jun Deliberately Giving Money Away

Deliberately giving money away is like this canal generously channeling water, a common symbol for money:Image by and uploaded to Flikr by Jeff Attaway, accessed via Creative Commons Search.

Deliberately Giving Money Away

Donating money is highly endorsed by RAISING CLARITY.  You probably already know three reasons:

1. 1. It’s good for others to receive your money.
   2. Most religions tell you to do it.
   3. Money is bad so giving it away is the next best thing to not having any.

Conflicting Ideas About Giving Money Away

There are conflicting ideas on giving away money flying around out there.

Religions tell you to give away money for practical reasons of social harmony and because generosity is good. But unless you really study the teachings, you don’t really understand why generosity is good.

You might think it is because of #1, other people need your money. Maybe so. But they don’t need it as much as you need to give some away. I experienced this again recently when I had amassed over $100 in my tithing fund.  The word “tithe” means “the tenth part” and I try to give about that away.  I got such a thrill investing it in something that really matters to me, without being asked, without even really making a big noise about it.

Try Giving Money Away

It is  worth your time to try this out. Adopt a percentage or an amount and go with it, with some regularity, over some period of time. Experiment. Set it aside in any way that makes sense and then let it go. Channel it where you want it or simply leave some out in the street where you think someone will pick it up. Experiment. You can give away a lot or a little. See what feels good to you–and it should feel good. That’s the fun part–experiment til it feels good.

I reflected on my deliberately giving away money experiments and came up with my own three weird-wonderful reasons for doing it:

Deliberately giving money away (my list of why)

1. 1. keeps you one step ahead of deliberately being selfish.
   2. puts a hole in your budget you control. Most holes you don’t control. This is a hole you create.
   3. is one of the two things money is for: us, and other people. I am honestly not sure there is a difference. I think I am getting to a place now where I tithe for myself. And when I spend money on myself, it is the use others will make of it I think about. It’s all very selfish and feels very good. It sounds paradoxical but that’s just one of those conflicting ideas about money, flying around.