Remember to Give...

A Time for GIVING...

At this jolly and joyful time of year, which for so many of us is filled to overflowing with family, friends, festivities and fun, we at Freedom Focused invite you to consider and then choose at least ONE way in which you will GIVE to OTHERS who are less fortunate than you and your own crew this holiday season.

Because we are all in different places and stages in our lives and careers, each individual's GIVING will look a little bit different. Those who have been blessed with much will have more to give than those who have blessed with less. Moreover, some will naturally feel more creative and ambitious in their giving efforts than others, and that is okay too. The important thing for self-action leaders to understand is that it is not so much how you give, nor is it even how much you give that matters most. The important thing is that you simply find a way to give... that fits appropriately and reasonably within the unique framework of your own individual personality and circumstances. 

To illustrate this point, consider my own decisions to give this holiday season. As devout members of our faith, my wife and I already donate 10-percent of our annual income—and a monthly donation to assist those in need—to our church. That's just a previously determined given that will continue unabated for the rest of our lives. However, we have also been very blessed this year. As such, it seemed right to take advantage of some additional opportunities to give and serve as well. As a stay-at-home Dad to three kids who is working to build a business on the side, I don't have the time, energy, or desire to plan or initiate any grand giving scheme of my own. However, I do have the time, energy, desire, and resources to contribute to a food, blood, and toy drive in my community that other inspired leaders have organized.

I feel so grateful to those who head up these noble initiatives. Without their exemplary leadership and proactive planning and execution of these various service projects, others in the community (including me) would not have such convenient opportunities to contribute. Because THEY are leading out, self-action leaders like me have the opportunity to lead ourselves to follow their lead and make a positive difference in the process. 

My son Tyler and our cart full of
toys for two local toy drives.

Pictured at right is my son, Tyler, and our cart of toys we purchased this morning for a couple of toy drives in our local community that I learned about through my kids' elementary school and a doctor's office I visit. I do not publicize our giving efforts to impress you, but rather to impress upon YOU the importance of finding a way (or ways) of giving of your time and/or means to those in need this Holiday Season. 

Simply stated, SELF-ACTION LEADERS are GIVERS.

They look for, seek out, and then take advantage of opportunities to lift, encourage, and serve others. They are quick to compliment and commend—and slow to criticize and condemn. They strive to be a voice of positivity and possibility in a world of persistent pessimism and pain. 

In the process, self-action leaders do not compare their giving efforts to others. They recognize that certain seasons of life bring about greater opportunities to give than others, and that some seasons may even require them to be on the receiving end of others' generosity. And that is okay! I know this is true because I've been there myself on a number of occasions, and I'll forever be grateful to those who showed compassion, generosity, and love to me in my times of need.

The joy of receiving is eclipsed only by the joy of giving.

Self-action leaders understand further that even when they cannot give anything at all and find themselves on the receiving end of the equation that they can still recite in their hearts those reassuring words of scripture: "I give not because I have not; but if I had, I would give." Or better yet, "I give not because I have not; but when I have, I will give!" That was always my attitude during my own personal periods of penury, and in my more recent years of abundance, my wife and I have striven to make good on those sincere, erstwhile intentions.  

For self-action leaders, GIVING is a JOY; but it is also a DUTY that one takes very seriously. In the process of fulfilling this duty to give, they experience the natural by-product of joy that so spontaneously follows on the heels of any and all acts of sincere generosity extended in good-faith and wisdom.

For those who have been blessed with a little bit of extra energy, time, money, or other resources this Christmas season, Dr. JJ and Freedom Focused encourage you to give a little bit of time, service, money, food, or other gifts to those in need.

For those of you who have been blessed with a LOT of extra energy, time, money, or other resources this Christmas season, we invite you to give a little bit (or perhaps a lot) more time, service, money, food, or other gifts to those in need.

The joy and rewards of GIVING often far surpass the gift itself.

And moving forward forever into the future, we invite you to gradually cultivate within yourself a spontaneous attitude of giving and serving. We promise that those who follow this course in their lives and careers will discover not only the spontaneous joy of giving, but will come to learn further that in the long-run, they will end up more blessed than ever themselves. That is the beauty of the law of reciprocity and the law of the harvest working together synergistically in your favor. 

In short, the more you give, the more you get. I know this is true because I have been blessed beyond my capacity to receive for whatever efforts I have made to love, serve, and give throughout my life. And since there is nothing inherently special about me, you can engage this same phenomenon in your own life and career—as much or as little as you desire—and it will eventually work just as well for YOU!  

So... how are YOU going to lift, love, serve, or give this Holiday Season? We invite you to ponder this question, make a plan, and then TAKE ACTION and bask in the joy of thus engaging.  

Happy Holidays Everyone!  

-Dr. JJ

December 12, 2022
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

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