Daan Utsav: Giving Mindfully

As Daan Utsav approaches again and I spring into action with the motivated team to spread the message of this joyous festival I would like to pause for a moment and contemplate why we give.

When we give, whether its our time, teaching a skill or gifting much needed clothes or a treat to those who are in need we must always focus on why we give. Don't just clear or de clutter your home and decide to give all that you have discarded. Give joyously and watch the joy on the recipient's face as they receive something they really need.

Give because you want to be part of your community and if we have been blessed with more than we can use then we should give to those who are in need.

Tips to Give Mindfully
"    Identify an organisation you can visit regularly, an orphanage, old people's home, even a government school  
"    Start by finding out what they need.
"    The list may be longer than you can or plan to fulfil -  Involve others.
"    When you are involved over a period of time with the same organisation your giving however small it may seem to you adds up over time and makes a measurable difference.

How you can give mindfully to those around you every day
Gifting smiles,
giving time off to your staff,
doing chores for each other in a family or at your workplace - for instance you could make tea for the person who usually makes it for you.

Gift birthday and celebration gifts mindfully. Lets be conscious of our environment, what are we wrapping gifts in. Can we give gifts that will actually be used - stationary, clothes, food, plants. Try giving a gift that you made yourself - chocolates, cakes, even a simple home made card strikes a chord with the person you are gifting and is really valued.

Giving mindfully may seem hard when you start but soon can become a habit and it feels really good and those around you follow your example too. It means getting out of your comfort zone and empathising with others. When we participate fully in our communities around us we can change them and make it a better place for all of us to live.

Joining the Daan Utsav team has truly made me realise that there are so many people from so many different walks of life who are on the same path and we can form a connection across space and time and create a cosmos of givers.

From auto rickshaw drivers to CEOs, school children to celebrities, homemakers to opinion leaders and media personnel, millions of people from all walks of life come together during this week to give their time, money, resources, or skills back to society. They do this by creating or participating in events of their choice.

A giving event could be as simple as a family taking out their staff's children for an ice cream party, or as large as a 'Gift Compassion'. The latter is an event that has over 10,000 schoolchildren across India making and exchanging gifts with their peers from different socio-economic backgrounds every year.

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The peace of mind and genuine happiness that you get out of giving mindfully cannot be replicated. Try it and see.