Giving Without Expectation

UPDATE:

I'm sorry but the images that were in this post are no longer available for download.  Free Digital Photos has revoked the permission that they had originally given me.  While I am still allowed to post their images on line, I am no longer able to offer them up for download.  I can however still offer you the original quote that was part of the motivational graphic.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

We often forget that we are all made of three parts:  physical, mental and spiritual.  While we take care of our health and exercise to increase our physical attributes; learn and keep our minds active to develop our mental abilities; we rarely do anything to nurture our spiritual self.  Keep in mind that while our spiritual side may involve religion it doesn't necessarily have to.  Something as simple as taking a walk in nature and letting the stillness of the moment flow over you, can help to expand the spiritual side of your being.

Giving without expectation of return is another way to help us develop that all important spiritual side of our nature.  For those of us who celebrate Christmas, this is the perfect opportunity to practice the art of giving without expecting anything in return. There are certain things we should do just for the inherent goodness attached to doing them.  The fact that you have done something right should be the only reward you need in these cases.  Once you’ve conditioned your mind this way, the actuality is that you do indeed get something in return.  Kevin Sinclair describes these benefits in his article, “Give Without Expecting Return”.  When you give without expectation you benefit in the following ways:  “a higher state of awareness; the pride that you have given something of powerful, lasting, un-aging value to the world; and, you have made the world in which you live a better place, which can only benefit you even if indirectly and not in any immediate sense.” 

For those of you who are skeptical that selfless acts still exist, let me share a story with you.  I paid a visit on Monday to the blog of one of my favourite designers.  Many of you are probably familiar with Anna Stillwell from Cuddlebug Cuties.  If you have followed Free Digital Stamps for awhile then you already know that she has a generous nature.  On Saturday, she shared something special with us.  You see, Anna has an Etsy store like so many digital artists out there.  Yet, instead of pocketing the profits, she made the choice to take all of her earnings from every stamp purchased in her store and donate the funds to her favourite bookstore.  Each year during the Christmas season, this particular bookstore does a drive to collect books for a local orphanage.  While Anna was in the very long checkout line, she continued to hear the store associates ask each customer in turn, if they would be interested in donating a book for the book drive.  Unfortunately, there were more people that said ‘no’ than said ‘yes’.  When it came time for Anna to make her purchases, she piped up before the associate had a chance to even ask the question.  It was apparent on his face and in his demeanor that he was dreading to ask the question again and receive yet another reply of 'no'.  She dumped her armful of books onto the counter and said, “these are for your book drive".  The man was so overwhelmed that he started to cry.  Anna made the difference in a number of children’s lives that day, expecting nothing in return.  Now, that is what this season is all about--giving from the heart with no strings attached.

We could all do with a little extra positive energy flowing into our lives this holiday season; so, go out and find someone that you can gift something to without anticipating anything in return.  It doesn’t have to cost money.  Not everyone has the financial ability to do what Anna did.  Many of you need the extra money you make selling stamps to help pay the bills and put food on the table.  Find a different way to give.  Be creative.  The only requirement is that you give from the heart.

If you are interested in the information used to create this sentiment, I have included it below along with my other usual caveats.  Please note that due to the nature of these designs, you may not use either quote on products you sell since three of the fonts are for personal use only with no profit generation.

Until next time, 

 Fonts Used: 

• Cheri & Cheri Liney 
• Angelina
• Lobster Two 
• Champagne and Limousines

 Click the font name to take you to a download location.  While Angelina and Lobster Two are considered free for commercial use, the remaining are for personal use only.

If you haven't already, please become familiar with my terms of use found in the copyright tab at the top of this page.  I have included a quick summary below.   If you are not sure how to copy the image, check out the download instructions page.  
  
Quick summary of Terms of Use: 

• Do not claim the image as your own.
• Credit 'Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' somewhere on your creation
• Do not share my images with family, friends, etc.  Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Pinterest®, 4-Shared®, etc.  Instead, please direct people to my blog so they can grab the image for themselves.
• If I have signed an image, do not delete my signature.
• Leave a comment on my blog.  It is currently the only way for me to know if any of my freebies are being nabbed.  Additionally, it will help to inspire me to continue to create and offer future freebies.

References:

Cabelis, Walter . (2010). The Essence of Giving. Available: http://www.lionslinger.com/2010/01/08/the-essence-of-giving/. Last accessed 11th December 2012.

Deschene, Lori . (2009). 20 Ways to Give Without Expectations. Available: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/20-ways-to-give-without-expectations/. Last accessed 11th December 2012.

Hitchcock, Cheryl . (unknown). Practicing the Art of Giving Back. Available: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/practicing-the-art-of-giving-back. Last accessed 11th December 2012.

Sinclair, Kevin . (2009). Give Without Expecting Return. Available: http://kevinsinclair.hubpages.com/hub/Give-Without-Expecting-Return. Last accessed 11th December 2012.