Why Does Santa Give?

People have been sending me gifts, either for Christmas or my upcoming birthday (12-29), all week. Some gift-ers are known and some are unknown. I find this curious.

Two days ago the UPS driver had me sign for a package. The small package contained a brand new Ipod Nano. I've wanted one so I'm glad "The Attractor Factor" continues to work.

But there wasn't a clue who sent the gift to me. I still don't know who this mysterious, generous Santa is.

But he or she isn't the only one playing gift-giver.

Today someone sent me four quarts of Goji Juice. While I admit I love goji berries, I find it uncomfortable to accept four quarts of juice made from them. Why? Whoever sent it is probably trying to convince me to promote their product in some direct marketing business. Clue: A company flyer was in the package. That's not wrong, it just feels a little manipulative. At some point I may be cornered and asked if I will represent the product. That doesn't feel like a true gift. It feels like a loaded gun.

Yet another person -- and this one gave his name -- is sending me some of his company's nutritional products. I know this package is coming, I know who it's coming from, and I know what he expects.

Yes, he wants me to have the gifts. And yes, he's hoping I'll promote it for him to my email list. And yes, he understands I may never promote his site at www.assurednutrition.com But he's giving the gift anyway. He's smart.

My all-time favorite gift to receive, any time, for any reason, is an http://www.amazon.com/gift-certificates Amazon gift coupon. Over the years people have bought them for me in values of $20 to $200. (The limit on an Amazon gift coupon is $5,000, but you can buy more than one..) You can't imagine my glee at holding a gift coupon and shopping online for my favorite product: Books!

You'd think after cleaning my office (and no, I'm not done yet), taking two months to dig through books and then get books back on shelves, that I'd be sick of them. Not so. Not even close. I still live for the next hypnotic read. And if I can't find it, then I'll write it.

But back to the subject of giving...

I wrote a little book called The Greatest Money-Making Secret In History. It states that giving should be done without expectation of direct return.

In other words, you expect return, but not from the person you gave to. The return will come in time, probably from some unexpected source.

And if you could give without any expectation, then you'd probably transcend all life and be instantly enlightened. But who's there?

When we give, we want to give out of love, not out of expectation. With the former we invoke one of the keys to the kingdom of wealth; with the latter we invoke our ego, which can't see beyond its own nose.

To whoever gave me the Ipod Nano, thank you.

Expect something wonderful to come your way soon.

Ao Akua,

joe
www.mrfire.com

PS -- I always use a PS but I don't always know what to say in one. This is one of those moments. (But notice how you read this PS, anyway?)