Sometimes you just have to give what you can, even if you want to give more.
Like most of the general population, I love to give – it makes me feel good (I’m not just talking about monetary things here). Often I want to give more.
I want to give more time, more attention, more care, more creativity, more money, more energy, more of me. Just more.
Sometimes I can. I have the time, the bandwidth, the ability, the resources and it’s great, I feel wonderful and I do it with a happy heart.
And sometimes I can’t.
Competing priorities limit my time, financial issues mar my gifts, pressing projects capture my attention, lack of energy limits my abilities, overwhelm wins and leaves me feeling lack. I give what I can but I don’t feel great because I know given a different time, circumstance or situation I could have given more. I feel drained. I feel judged. I feel sad.
Enter the 5 A’s that I share in my Bring Your “A” Game to Work & Life programs, I find when I run my issues through these filters it really helps me think, feel and act better.
Awareness – I feel sad when I can’t give to the level I desire to give at.
Accountability – No one else makes me feel bad about this but me.
Attitude – When I feel sad or drained or not enough, I don’t show up fully.
Appreciation – I feel gratitude when people give to me, perhaps they feel that way when I give too?
Action – What if I give what I can, even if I want to give more and I choose to feel good about giving at whatever capacity feels right in the moment. When I have more, I give more.
Try one, some or all of the A filters and see if you can reframe a thought or feeling that is not serving you well, it’s just one more way to live your life, unlimited!
Best, Steph 🙂
