DSTSS - a simple formula

74. Do a favour and don't ask for or expect one in return

So as part of my commitment for conscious living this year, i really am thinking about what's important to me and how i go about daily life.  for anyone who followed the events prior to my move to melbourne, you would no doubt understand that i needed to do something to keep me sane while turmoil was wreaking havoc, which is why i started my don't sweat the small stuff project anyway.  i only have to look at the cover of the book now and it plants some kind of grounding affect on me.  so yes, i am committed (or maybe i should be committed for plugging away at this) but it's still relevant especially as i now move into another chapter of my life.

i did start the content of this post many months back - over 184 days ago, which was when i stopped writing, but i think the content is still as relevant today as it was when i began to compose it. and if life stuff is overwhelming then take heart, there is always a positive way to deal with it that will keep you from going bonkers.  you just need to find the right formula and this project certainly worked a treat for me. and now, i'll finish the post that i started all the months ago.
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I am doing myself a favour and not asking anything in return.  I have picked up this bloody book and moved on with another chapter.  My determination to not have this unfinished business (ie this project) is still burning within me, so i must listen to that little voice that never seems to let me down. #innerpeace and #hurrythefuckup

I'm not sure whether i have delayed, because the subject seems a no brainier, or whether i just have had to many other things to be doing.  Maybe it's a bit of both.

so i was inspired by a presentation we had at work this week and it really fits this chapter of the book perfectly....Do a favour and don't ask for or expect one in return

where i work, we support a charity each quarter and on casual friday, we donate our spare change to go towards this particular charity. this quarter is big group hug a charity that helps support vulnerable children at the time of their life when their developmental requirements are so essential, but can be non existent due to way that life is panning out.  children who don't have food, nappies, clothes, a place to live and sometimes parents who need to try and feed their children before looking after their own needs. this charity is not supported by the government, but to hear their story and the work they do was both humbling and inspiring.

as most great things do - it started with a hair brain idea and snowballed.

there was many scenarios and stories shared and the one that resonated with me was of a person who decided to provide formula, for a baby she didn't know for as long as that child needed it. talk about "do a favour and ask for nothing in return". it was genuine compassion and caring for the needs of another.  what was amazing about this story, was that when this family moved out of their local community, the woman continued on with her commitment of helping by arranging home delivery of the formula for as long as was required.   it would be lovely to think that this child is now thriving due to the kindness of a total stranger.

i think about my move to melbourne and the financial impact this has had on me and someday's i would love to have a box of formula delivered to my doorstep (in the form of chardonnay or pinot grigio)

by the time a child is three, the weight of their brain is not that different to the size of an adult's brain and this charity is doing their best to ensure that basic needs are met for these children so they can thrive and survive. isn't that something we would all wish for another human - to at least have an opportunity?

that's a really big example of doing someone a favour and not asking for anything in return. the take away here is that by doing something nice - a favour - a genuine act of kindness without the need for it to be reciprocated may bring a sense of peace and if you appreciate and understand the power of peaceful living, then it may be another way of ensuring this part of your life continues. and i for one am all about peaceful living and giving where i can.

note to self: the formula for life is not one that can ever be calculated, but you can always do your own sums and decide if what you give outweighs the expectation of what you want to get back. for me, i'm at a place where the importance of giving seems so much more powerful than what i may receive in return.