“By concentrating on the positive, we create a sense of optimism and energy.” – Christopher Novak 

As you know, I have vowed to continue the practice I began last year of making this my personal Summer of Time Prosperity.  In 2009, I “woke up” to the fact that the previous summer had gone by in a blur of tele-seminars, projects and paperwork, while I missed the opportunity to savor the many big and little moments of relaxation, rejuvenation and FUN that are available only during my favorite time of year.  

This summer, as last, I am practicing taking ample time each week to stop and smell the roses, even as I continue to write this weekly blog for you. So, taking a page from Johnny Carson when he was the host of the Tonight Show, I will continue to introduce you to several “guest hosts” for the blog from time to time during the summer.  It will give YOU the opportunity to learn tips and tools for creating a life of abundance from a number of my favorite Master Manifesters, while giving ME the opportunity to enjoy my favorite time of year without guilt!  

This week’s guest columnist is actually a group of writers – the Editors of Conari Press – who compiled the wonderful little book titled “Random Acts of Kindness” – a collection of short anecdotes from people who practiced doing good things, usually for strangers, and got a great feeling (and sometimes even more tangible benefits) in return. 

This book resonates with me because since “The Great Recession” began in 2008, I have been consciously focusing on blessing others, while allowing the Universe to bless me in return – following The Law of Circular Giving, as it’s called.  And it hasn’t failed me once!  

Each morning, I remind myself of the affirmation, “As I bless others, so shall I be blessed.”  And I ask the Universe to connect me to those people who need my help that day, regardless of their ability to pay me or reciprocate in any way.  It causes me to place my faith in the right place – with my Source. I know that if I simply concentrate on doing my very best to help my fellow man or woman, I will receive what I need – my “daily bread” — in return.  I truly believe that God (or the Universe, or Allah, or Buddha, or Source, or whatever name you choose to call your Higher Power), takes care of US in whatever ways we need because WE take care of OTHERS in whatever way they need.  God doesn’t have arms or legs or a checkbook, so God relies on ME to do what needs to be done for my fellow human beings, on God’s behalf. 

Random Acts of Kindness provides many inspiring real-life examples of compassion, kindness and open-hearted giving – the type of acts that always come back around to bless the giver with whatever support THEY need  – usually from an entirely different source than where they bestowed their kindness. That’s Circular Giving at its best! 

I want to share these two excerpts from this wonderful little book, because they happen to focus on helping others with money.  The aim of this blog is to increase your prosperity and abundance, which of course, are not limited to mere money or material possessions.  Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that when you “put your money where your mouth is” through an act of generosity to another who needs it, you strengthen your own ability to believe that whatever is needed in the way of material support will be provided to YOU.  This is a critical prerequisite for putting the Law of Attraction into action in creating whatever it is that YOU want for yourself: When you genuinely BELIEVE that what you ask for WILL come to you, nothing is impossible….And belief is usually the hardest thing for us, isn’t it? 

The following are excepts From Random Acts of Kindness by the Editors of Conari Press 

Spare Change   

Every day I walk down the mall to get a cup of cappuccino, and every day I get hit up for spare change.  Every day.  The panhandlers all have these wonderful stories but you never know what to believe.  After awhile, it gets to be an irritation, and then I find myself getting upset that I’m so irritated over what is really just spare change.  One day this person came up to me and said, “I just ran out of gas.  My car is about six blocks away from here.  I have two kids in the car and I’m just trying to get back home.” 

I said to myself, “Here we go again,” but for some reason, I gave him $10.  Then I went on and got my cappuccino.  As I was walking back to my office, I again saw the man standing by his car, which had run out of gas right in front of my office.  Seeing me, he came over and said, “Thank you, but I don’t need the full ten,” and handed me $2. 

Now I find that being asked for money no longer bothers me and I give whatever I can every time I get the chance. 

“The quality of mercy is not strained;

it dropeth as the gentle rain from heaven;

upon the place beneath; it is twice blessed;

it blesseth him that giveth and him that takes.”

– from The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare 

The Forgiven Debt 

I had a client who owed me a good deal of money.  Eventually, she stopped seeing me, but each month I would send her a bill and receive no response.  Finally, I wrote to her and said, “I don’t know what difficulty has befallen you that you are unable to pay me, but whatever it is, I’m writing to tell you your debt is forgiven in full.  My only request is that at some point in your life, when your circumstances have changed, you will pass this favor on to someone else.” 

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.  I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live.  Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me.  It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” – George Bernard Shaw 

I must admit  that forgiving a monetary debt is a challenging thing for me to do, especially when things are still tight for us in the current economy. Yet, I have been inspired to do this several times over the years, and each time, funds miraculously came back to bless me, usually from an entirely different source.  

Once, out of the blue, one of my clients sent me a gift of $3,000!  She said she had gotten the “message” from the Universe several times in no uncertain terms that she was to send that specific amount to me.  I was flabbergasted!  And my own debts have sometimes been kindly postponed – or even entirely forgiven – by others.  I know that is no coincidence, but the result of trying to live according to the credo “As I bless others, so shall I be blessed” – or in the vernacular, “What goes around, comes around!” 

My prosperity tip for you this week is simple: Find someone to bless by performing a “random act of kindness” for them when they least expect it.  It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, just that it takes something for you to do it.  To me, giving $50 would constitute a Big Gift, while to you, that might be chump change!  So don’t spend your family’s grocery money, but make it something that is significant for YOU.  And it doesn’t have to be money; it could be a significant gift of time, for instance…anything that is a stretch for you to do for someone else.  

It’s preferable if you give your gift to a stranger, or do it anonymously, if it’s to someone you know.  But above all, do NOT do it expecting to get anything in return – not thanks, acknowledgment or a reciprocal gift. Simply do it from your own sense of open-hearted generosity, expecting nothing, and BELIEVE that the Universe is taking note.  Then, one day soon, when you have almost forgotten about it, I guarantee that you will receive a wonderful surprise “out of the blue” (and quite possibly when you need it the most), just as YOUR gift came to your beneficiary “out of nowhere” when they needed it most. 

I hope you will share your chosen “random act of kindness” with me, and what blessing you received from the Universe in return! And be sure to let me know if it is OK to publish it in a future blog (anonymously or otherwise), so your gift can continue to “pay it forward” to your Community by inspiring others to do the same! Contact me at: caroll@practicalprosperitycoach.com.

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