In Oprah’s opening letter of this giving issue, she writes:
At this time of year, you can easily be overwhelmed by the pressure to buy, get, respond and participate–all in the spirit of the holidays. Don’t let yourself be taken. Instead, give. And give only what comes directly from your spirit. You can offer so much that costs little or nothing. What you give of yourself is priceless.
Then she gives a little list of gifts you can give that are mainly of your time, and that’s nice to remember that time is as big a deal as buying things.
I’m having such an internal conflict with having a giving spirit, especially when I think about Oprah’s TV show “The Big Give,” where, “You give big, or you go home.” Sometimes I think, “Oh, I’ll MAKE gifts this Christmas!” and then feel overwhelmed by the project I’ve taken on. Sometimes it feels like the holidays happen to me instead of planning for them, and then everything becomes more of a hassle. Like Oprah’s first suggestion: “Make a list of the people you really care about, then send each a handwritten note saying why you do.” Dude. That could be a heck of a lot of people–after a certain point, it might start feeling like a chore. How do you keep the giving spirit around when that happens?
With watching the TV show, I feel even more inadequate about how I give. Throwing money into the collection plate at church isn’t enough–I should get the whole congregation together to renovate the sanctuary for free/minimal money. [an aside: Do you think people approached by the show's contestants would be half as giving if they weren't on camera?] I should be giving big in everything and to everyone–it’s almost like spreading yourself too thin, and/or not making a commitment, which I think is also important with giving.
I can’t remember off-hand if this issue talks about setting boundaries with giving, but I think that’s an important part of the process. Oprah here writes about not letting yourself “be taken,” and especially at the holidays, I think that’s important to remember. Being a good giver doesn’t mean you say yes to every begging-for-money solicitation that comes in. You don’t have to volunteer for every project. You just have to be open to giving, and soon you’ll find opportunities where you can be the most effective.
And just back to the point of this–giving your time works wonders as well.
