Charitable Giving, Philanthropy, and Unique Gift Ideas
This article is not about tithing, nor a guilt-inducing expose’ of people who desperately need help. Not to diminish the importance of those topics; but this article is about unique gifts that cost little or nothing, yet can bring a lifetime of love and happiness.
If you’re searching for a unique anniversary gift idea, a unique gift for a special person’s birthday, or other special-occasion gift, you’ll love this
idea. If you hate to shop and are frugal (tight) with your spending, you’ll really love this idea. The unique gift idea is love.
Love. It’s free, readily available, inexhaustible, and highly valued by everyone.
Benefits of Generosity and Unconditional Love
By giving your love—a very special form of your love—you’ll be practicing philanthropy and charitable giving while spending little or nothing. What you give will be invaluable but won’t cost a cent. That’s the beauty of generosity, acts of kindness, and unselfish, unconditional love. They’re free. They’re easy (with some practice). And they’ll be treasured by those to whom you’re giving.
There’s more good news. When you practice generous, charitable giving, giving of your unconditional love to those special to you and those you barely know, you’ll also benefit. Positive psychology researcher Dr. Stephen G. Post notes that “It’s abundantly clear from a number of studies that people who live generous lives also live happier lives.”
True generosity, giving of your time, energy, and love is good for everyone - giver and receiver alike. If, on top of giving your loving time and energy you also contribute material resources (goods and money)—more in line with the normal concept of charitable giving—all the better.
What is Unconditional Love?
If this is a new concept for you and maybe you find yourself a bit skeptical, there are ample reasons. Culturally, we’re taught to generously give material resources to those in need, but to jealously guard the love we give. The latter is seldom spoken literally, but our models of love and relationships tend to focus on loving those who earn it by conforming to certain conditions.
This model results in conditional love, which isn’t really love at all, but it’s a widespread understanding of it. Conditional love is not generous and it’s not kind. Therefore, it doesn’t earn the everlasting gratitude of a partner, nor does it provide the health and happiness benefits found by Dr. Post. What conditional love does provide though, is conditional love in return. Not very satisfying.
Get Started Giving a Unique Gift
The best way to learn to give this magical gift of unconditional love is simply to do it. Practice does make perfect. Start with someone special or start with the next homeless person asking for help.
Begin by deciding to love unconditionally. This is critical. It won’t happen without your conscious intent to love another without regard to who they are or what they do.
With a firm intention to simply love in your mind, how you behave and treat the person will align perfectly with what that person needs at the time.
Take the example of a homeless person asking for money for food. Would you normally hold back thinking she’ll just blow your gift on drugs or alcohol?
If you love unconditionally you’ll be generous without caring what she does with the money. Sure, you can hope it will go for food, but what if it doesn’t? Why would you care? You could go an extra step and buy some food to give her, but isn’t that still putting some conditions on the gift?
How Does This Work With a Loved One?
Providing that unique gift of unconditional love to someone close to you is really very simple. Form the intent as mentioned above. Then tell the person that he’s loved and that he always will be loved, without any conditions. Express your desire that he get out of life exactly what he wants from life with your full support and encouragement.
A Cautionary Note
Giving unconditional love does not mean that you submit to abusive behavior, verbal or physical. Loving yourself requires that you separate yourself from those whose behavior is hurtful. You can still love the person and wish the very best for them, but take yourself out of their influence.
