For years, I often gave in order to get something back. I’d volunteer at church, bake cookies, pick up trash – all because it made me feel better about myself. When I didn’t feel good about who I was, helping others became my way of feeling worthy. But here’s what I didn’t understand: that’s not really giving, because it’s not from the heart. It’s taking.
True giving happens from overflow, not from need. When we give because we’re trying to feel better, prove our worth, or earn someone’s approval, we’re actually using other people to meet our own needs. And inevitably, we end up feeling resentful when we don’t get what we were hoping for in return.
I’ve had people offer to give me things of substantial value, but they wanted things from me in return – things I wasn’t willing to give – not at any price. I couldn’t have felt good about myself if I made that deal.
Here’s what made a real difference for me in my relationships: I started checking in with my heart before saying yes to anything. Do I genuinely want to do this? Do I need anything back from this person? If the answer is yes – if I’m hoping for gratitude, reciprocation, or some kind of payback – then I don’t do it. I wait until I can give from a place of genuine overflow.
A Course in Miracles teaches us about holy relationships versus special relationships. Special relationships are based on getting something we think we need. Holy relationships are based on extending love without conditions.
When we give from overflow, we’re participating in holy relationship.
When we give in order to get, we’re stuck in specialness.
Now I give when it feels genuinely good, when there’s no strings attached, when I don’t need one single thing in return. And you know what? It feels completely different. There’s no resentment, no keeping score, no feeling used or taken advantage of. Just the simple joy of extending love because love is what I am.
In this season of giving, let’s give from the overflow. Let’s give because we’ve been given so much. In truth, God has given us EVERYTHING – Peace, Love, Joy, Freedom, Wisdom, Wholeness, Harmony, Beauty, Prosperity, Abundance, Creativity and so much more.
If we’re not experiencing it we’re blocking the flow.
If you’re ready to transform all your relationships from special to holy, join with like-minded souls for my FREE Forgiveness Workshop TODAY. We’ll practice releasing the giving-to-get patterns that keep us bound to resentment and discover what it feels like to extend love freely. And if you’re sensing a call to go deeper into this work, my Masterful Living year-long program begins in 2 weeks – a sacred community where we practice holy relationship together, week after week, until it becomes our natural way of being.
In my Masterful Living Program, we practice this – being clear without being unkind. Speaking truth without attack. We can break the old habits of attack and defend and live in a joyful way. It’s contagious. And it’s truly helpful.
We can do this!
SATURDAY: Join me for a FREE Forgiveness Workshop this Saturday and discover how simple it is to see through the ego’s games. You’ve believed these tricks long enough. Today, choose to see the truth that sets you free.
Masterful Living Program 2026 – Registration is open! This is my very best program. The sooner you register the more bonuses you get! Click here now to learn more. Masterful Living is where we’ll do the transformational work together. Shifting our consciousness and inviting miracles is the heart of what we practice in my Masterful Living Program (which starts January 3rd) together we give the heavy lifting to the Holy Spirit when we’re training our mind to be vigilant only for God.
NEW ACIM PODCAST EPISODE: The Christmas Darkness That Haunted Me for 40 Years in this episode of A Course in Miracles: Living the Love, Walking the Talk, I share something too personal for my daily blog—how Christmas brought crushing darkness for 40 years until last winter’s breakthrough. From my morning in Maine, I reveal the 1985 trauma I finally connected to this pattern and the surprising Chapter 31 principle that dissolved it. You’ll discover why I’m experiencing the reverse this December and the misunderstood truth about “100% responsibility” that changes everything. If holidays haunt you, this holds unexpected keys.
