You are part of an orchestra 🎵

Greetings!

Giving can be hard.

When we're asked to share what we've earned, what we've worked for, there's often a moment of hesitation, a tightening of our grip on what we perceive as "ours."

We might find ourselves thinking, "Why should I give what's mine?"

These thoughts stem from a deep-seated belief that we are separate from those around us, that their struggles and triumphs are somehow disconnected from our own.

But what if this belief was a fallacy?

What if, in reality, we are all linked, our lives and fates intertwined in ways we may not always recognize?

It's not difficult to see we're connected to fellow human beings through family, economics, environment and politics.

But beyond that, we're also spiritually connected with each other in ways we may not be fully aware of.

And if we're connected to a larger system, by identifying ourselves with it, giving doesn't feel like a burden anymore. Giving is just giving to another part of yourself. More for you is more for me.

Like when cells in a body perform their role, the whole body benefits, but when a cell becomes selfish and behaves in ways that benefit themselves at the expense of other cells, that cell becomes cancer in the body.

In giving, we may not be fully aware of how we're contributing to the universe. A cell may not be aware of how it's contributing to the body physically, intellectually and emotionally. But it trusts that in doing what it's meant to do, it's fulfilling the purpose of the body.

When we give what we have, we don't have to calculate how we're benefitting. We're doing it out of a sense of trust and surrender that what we give is contributing to the larger purpose in ways we cannot imagine.

Charity doesn't feel like charity anymore. It's like participating in a large orchestra where we are doing our part in the service of the whole. 🎵

Tell me about a moment in your life when you were at the receiving end of someone’s generosity. How did it make you feel?

Reply to this email or leave a comment here.

Below, I’ll share some responses I’ve gotten from some of you from past emails. Thank you 🙏 for generously sharing and replying.

It definitely makes me feel like we’re all connected. 😊

Warm regards,
Mohammed Ali

💬 Your Voices

Thank you, friend Ali:
You have sent an interesting and insightful comic and commentary about silence. Of late, it has seemed to me that being silent is a good way not to tell lies. Inasmuch as He is the only one who never lies, being silent seems a good way to hear more of His truths. I feel fortunate to have stumbled onto this.

Hi Mohammed,

Ramadan greetings.

This is a very deep post! Prayers, over a period of time, end up being transactional. Imagine! Negotiating with the Creator for petty favours.

You rightly said, true prayer is transformational. It is based on complete surrender. We call it Sharanagati in Hinduism. The Lord knows what's best. All we need is the faith and patience (shraddha and saburi) to realise that.

Life will be a joy!

Thanks for these posts. Looking forward to them.

God bless!

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