3 Reasons Sharing is the Most Selfish Thing You Can Do

As children, we’re taught that sharing is the kind and selfless thing to do. It’s what separates the spoiled brats from the well-mannered children. Most of us still think in this way - we share our time, our money, and our gifts with other people because it is the “nice” thing to do. In reality, when we share with others, it actually serves us much more than we realize.

Sharing is the most selfish thing we can do (in a good way!) because it gives us a number of spiritual gifts. Here are 3 benefits we gain from sharing:

1. It feels good to share. When we share with the true spirit of generosity, we connect with our soul’s purpose, and that feels good! The more we experience that feeling, the more it drives us to seek it out.
   
   However, we tend to introduce complicated factors into our sharing that prevent us from feeling that warm buzz. Sometimes we introduce judgment by assessing if someone is “deserving” or our generosity. For instance, when we see a homeless person asking for money, we may consider what they are going to do with the money before deciding if we should give or not. We might even do this with people who we know.
   
   Other times, we give out of obligation or because we want people to think we are generous, not because we really want to. This can lead us to build resentment or start feeling like we have no choice in our sharing.
   
   It’s important that we remove our judgment and our ego from our sharing or else we can’t really enjoy it. If you give with the right consciousness, you will receive the inherent blessing from it: the good feeling it brings. It’s like a little reward for doing the right thing. 

2. It helps you enjoy what you have. You can be the wealthiest person in the world, but if you have no one to share with, can you truly be happy? What makes money, time, or any gift joyful is the appreciation we have for them. And the best way to build that appreciation is to share them with others.
   
   It can be so difficult for us to give our money, our time, or our gifts with others because we hold them so precious and know they are limited resources. We feel like we’ve earned them and deserve them. But in truth, we do not actually own what is “ours.” These things are all gifts given to us from the Creator and given for the purpose of sharing! Without sharing them, they become lifeless, and we lose the joy they bring.
   
   Sharing your gifts will actually bring more joy and fulfillment into your life. Seek out ways to share all of your gifts in all areas of your life, and see the difference it makes. 

3. The more you share, the more you can receive. The wisdom of Kabbalah teaches that the more we give of our gifts, the more we can receivefrom the Universe. Energy is cyclical. It comes back to us. If you want more money, share more money. If you want more time, share more time. The same goes for any blessing we have.
   
   Many people meditate and study spiritually but stop short of putting the teachings into motion. We know we should donate, give, and share, but we don’t always follow through. Unless we give a portion of every gift we have, we aren’t growing and can’t accomplish what our souls came into this world to do.
   
   Of course, sharing looks different for every person. A billionaire might have no trouble donating to charity and helping people financially but may struggle to give time to his family and friends. The harder the sharing, the greater the effect it has on us.
   
   Ask yourself: what is the most difficult thing for you to share, and how can you give more? 

Sharing isn’t just about being a nice person – it is vital to our growth and our happiness. We gain incredible benefits from sharing, much more than we ever could from hoarding our gifts. Practice giving and sharing in every way until it comes naturally. Go ahead, be selfish.