Giving is a blessing. I kept hearing that when I grew up as a child. Even worse: I was forced to share some of my things with other children. And my mother used to pass my clothes and toys to her sister’s child who was around two years younger than me.
I can’t say that I grew up a cheerful soul, bringing gifts to people left and right. At some period, I was so stingy, that looking back I feel ashamed from myself. Although that time I was forced to be that way. Just a fresh expat in the new country, with awful salary, shared bedroom and nothing but a couple of t-shirts, one pair of pants, two pairs of shorts and one pair of a shirt. Money was a tough thing for me, and with every new salary, I had to give 70% of it as a rent, while other 30% I had to keep for personal things, food and savings.
A couple of years after, I am standing pretty strong, having at least something on my background and of course as of today, I can proudly say that I am no longer so hungry for money as I was before. How did I fight with greed? Read my list of 6 things that will help you leave the money hunger trap.
Identify the problem
As with many other issues, first of all, you have to agree that you have a problem and be honest with yourself when saying “Yes! I am greedy!” Whats up with that? Everyone has his flaws and since you agreed that there is a problem and you want to fix it – you are not that bad by the end of the day. Nobody is perfect. Even Buddha used to gamble at a certain period of his life.
Help other people
Don’t hesitate to help others! It shouldn’t be just a financial help; you can help someone overcome depression and anxiety, give advice or cheer up and tell someone he did a great job. Start with your relatives and close friends, be more attentive to them. Soon, you will be confident in yourself, and you will notice how you try to help random people. But don’t become a good Samaritan. And don’t expect that everyone will keep appreciating your help. You do what you have to do, and just because you want it, not because you expect to be praised.
Boomerang Effect
Once you start helping others, you can move on to the next step, which consists of rewiring your brain for the positive thoughts. One of the main life credos I follow is “If I help someone now – I will be rewarded later in life”. This is the main rule of the universe, and it might take some time for you to understand it in full. But trust me, once you start paying attention – you will notice how your actions influence (positively or negatively) those around you, and how those actions affect you further.
Be kind, but not to everyone
No, this section does not interfere with the “Help other people,” consider it as an addition. The main idea of this part is that you have to be attentive to whom you are helping. Remember “Spider-Man” origins? Peter Parker kept an elevator for the guy who was running away from the Police officer. This guy was the one who later killed Peter’s uncle, Ben.
You see, at some point, you will either help someone who won’t utilize your help correctly or on the other hand, that person can start using you for his cause. Don’t ever let that happen, as I always said in my previous articles – be smart.
Bring gifts to your closest people
Make a rule to gift a present to your parents, close relatives, and friends. It can be something simple, not necessarily fancy. It can even be something minor, like a small flower. But make sure you always bring it with your heart.
Don’t get attached to things
Throw away old clothes you don’t use. Sell or throw anything that collects dust on your shelf. Give away your old books to libraries. Make sure you get rid of old things. Of course, you can have something like an old keychain, favorite book of your father, family watch or even a pair of socks – something that brings you back warm memories, and there is no issue to keep such things, but don’t make a warehouse of antiques out from your house.
The problem of greed comes from the desire to collect something and inability to get rid of old and unnecessary things. Once you fight this, your head will become much cleaner and your level of greed much lower.
