The Blessing of Generosity
There is a reason why, when we learn the six paramitas, generosity always comes first. As human beings we are so impatient, we want instant gratification, instant happiness, instant results. We often hear that if you are generous, in the future you will be rich. But that's just a very simplistic way of explaining things. If you really think deeply about the practice of generosity, you see that it not only causes future happiness, the practice itself is instant happiness. When young children are asked to give something, they give it with such joy giving is part of who they are. Even though many of us may have hidden agendas when we give presents, still the act of giving can bring so much joy and satisfaction.
You can be generous and let people know that it is you who is doing the giving and you will be happy. Or you can perform acts of generosity without anyone knowing. Often your joy will increase even more when you keep your generosity secret.
And of course there is no need to explain that if generosity is accompanied by the wisdom of nonduality, this is the supreme deed of the bodhisattvas. So it is really understandable that, of all the six paramitas, generosity is taught first. It instantly gives us the blessing of joy.
When somebody is generous toward us we feel so touched and rejoice in their generosity. The same must occur when we are generous to others.
~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche ~
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and YES.
Thank you for this.
mantra stuck in my head.
As a result, I find it extremely painful to be the recipient rather than the giver, and I'm starting to realize how that has stifled me.
Yesterday, $2 in the checking account, around $3 in my purse, animals out of food. A dear friend offered to help me out. I hated to say yes, but it wasn't about me.
On the way there, stopped to ask the wonderful couple who provide my hay if I could pay later in the afternoon for a bale ( these are big round bales that last 2 weeks for $25 ) This couple has been so good to me - just salt-of-the-earth mountain people - part of the reason I would hate to leave TN even if I hate the politics. You can't find the spirit that is on this mountain most places these days, it seems.
Anyhoo, I'm talking to the husband, and the wife comes out on the porch and says "Give her that hay for a Christmas present!" She knows I'm having a tough time. I said "Stop it" and he said, "I'm going to just take a bale over - don't worry about it" and he did ( my horses love him so much! He said they hear his truck coming down the road and he can hear them winnying loud before he even is in view. ) My nature was to stop on the way back and pay anyway, but then something said "Do you not see what an insult that is? They want to do something kind for you and you want to take that away from them."
Wow. I had to think about that.
Then my friend took me to a small mall and helped me buy baby clothes for my adopted grandbaby who is growing out of everything. And then he gave me some cash to get food for the animals. Again, I hated to take it, but in the end, we ask for solutions from the universe and then when a solution comes, we say "Oh shit, that's not what I ased for."
Funny, this giving and receiving stuff. I want to be self-sufficient and never, ever, ever need ANYBODY. And that's my own "sin" if you will. Learning to accept help is teaching me to suppress that ugly little ego.
WE need each other, after all! Damnit! lol 
Asking is brutally difficult. Receiving is equally difficult.
That's why I have always viewed Wishadoo as a social experiment of sorts, knowing that people having the courage to ask for...whatever, be it a critical need or something to further their dreams...would be THE biggest challenge.
I'm glad you have good friends surrounding you. You deserve it. Glad you accepted their gift as they intended.
It takes me sooooo long to load Wishadoo on Dialup so it ends up timing out on me, but soon I hope to have wireless.
I really would love to help you add content.
And an aside, cleaning up my car today, neighbor and her daughter stop by on the four-wheeler and said they saw me struggling with the tree that fell Thursday night. ( I couldn't get the chainsaw started for some reason and ended up having to use a spade bit on the drill to lop of the ends of the branches and drive through my flower beds to get my car out - fun times )
Anyhoo, she asked if I would like to have her hubby come chop it up and get it off the horse fence. I said yes right away and was proud of myself! I want to be that independent person who can do it all but I'm only fooling myself. We all need each other, and I must remember that. i want to be the giver! I want to be the one helping others! But then, that's all about me, me ,me. 
I AM lucky to have good family, good friends and good neighbors. I count my blessings every day and struggle with wanting to move and wanting to stay close to those I love.
Your Wishadoo is awesome ( what I've been able to see ) and I hope it only grows and grows.
that you hope Wishadoo "grows and grows."
I don't know that I've ever received that specific message before, and today those precise words came from one VERY unexpected source.
Thank you for adding to the message and goodwill.
Think of it this way: You ARE a giver when you allow others to be of service to you. It makes them happy...it's a blessing to them.
We all know some people are manipulative and are takers by habit. Most of us aren't, and the people offering to help know that, too.
Love these stories of generosity and open hearts.
(Thank you for the sweet words, but I'm so sorry Wishadoo isn't good for dial-up. 
Hopefully you can get wireless soon. I don't even have a smart phone myself but the programmers surprised me by telling me I will have a full-fledged mobile app ready to test at Wishadoo next month. That should engage younger people since they live on their cell phones. )