We are on the home stretch of our four-part series on Financial Fitness. How is it going for you? As I look over the responses I've received over the past several weeks and recall the conversations I've had, I'm reminded of how important it is to give to others. Spending the time to write these articles each week is my way of giving back to my community what was so richly given to me all of my life. I know my life, just like yours, is a purposeful gift to share and give to others.

Give and you shall receive. We have heard this saying and many others in one fashion or another from time to time. Remember hearing “What goes around comes around”? What about “What you put out there will surely come back to you”? Or how about this one: “You will reap what you sow”? All of these are sentiments that we can relate to our financial affairs as well.

In my recent book, God, Use Me For Real , I simply stated, “If you want more money, give some of your money away.” For some, that may be a foreign concept. How can you give what you do not have? Think for a moment about loving someone, or desiring to be loved. How can you know love and receive love if you do not give love, or love another? It is very much the same thing. How can you know money in abundance or receive money in abundance if you do not give it in abundance? This is not a logical concept; in fact, it's a very spiritual and practical one. At times in your life, for something you want, you may have to be willing to give it up to gain it all.

When was the last time, in the spirit of being grateful or kind to someone, you gave money freely and willingly? Did you notice at a later time that you found money you were not looking for, or money that was owed to you was suddenly paid back, or one day while checking your account you had more in it than expected? It is a spiritual law: What you give freely and willingly will find its way back to you in one form or another. A spirit of peace may come over a situation that you had no idea how to resolve; suddenly, it's not a major issue to you anymore.

This week, I want to encourage you to give some money away. Yup, that's what I said—give some money away. If you are a tither, continue to tithe. Just be mindful of why you do so, ensuring that you're not connected to what you'll get back; rather, you're giving because it's the right thing for you to do. If you contribute to an organization or cause you believe in, continue to do so and encourage others to do the same. If you do neither, yet it has crossed your mind from time to time, get it out of your mind and do something about it.

Remember, it's not the size or the dollar amount that matters. What matters most is your consistent efforts to give to and assist others. You'll see how your own world will expand, how good you'll feel, and how much more goodness you are opening up for your own self to flourish personally, spiritually and financially.

I encourage you to not focus on the money, just the energy of giving. Your receiving more in life is just the by-product of doing good work in a world that needs you to.

Let us all take on this challenge. If you have any stories, especially a success story in this regard to share, send me an email at natasha@visionmanifest.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This motivational thought is adapted from Life and Business Coach Natasha Haughton's new book, God, use me for real: A path toward a happy and fulfilling life. A highly respected speaker and coach, Natasha is co-founder of Vision Manifest.com. You can email her at natasha@visionmanifest.com, or visit www.visionmanifest.com.