Take a moment and rewind your memory to the time when you gifted someone something. Try to remember the feeling inside you when you gave the gift. Was the thought of giving a gift accompanied by the expectation of reciprocation, a hope for a better return gift, or the feeling of how much you sacrificed? Does the thought of ‘how can I give others something when I do not even have enough to fulfill my needs’ often pop up in your mind when you hear the phrase ‘art of giving’? Does giving sound too intimidating a task for you to ever participate in?

But generosity is not set within the boundaries of material things or monetary expenses. Some give to get recognition, some for experience, several for money, few for the satisfaction of a motive, and others for the promise of an unspoken return. Giving only so you can get is not a gift but an exchange, a compromise you make. Kind of like a transaction when one is selling and the other is buying, only without the money but a gift with strings attached nonetheless. The strings of hopes and expectations.

Neither the selfishness disguised as generosity nor the martyrdom you perceive is true giving. A true gift is enjoyed twice, once by the giver and next by the receiver. The art of giving lies in this enjoyment. When you give without any expectations of returns, with a heart full of happiness, only then a gift takes on its literal value. It is ironic how the art of giving bounds back to become the art of getting and proves to be a paradox. The bubbles of delight and intense gratification you feel when giving a true gift is indeed a euphoria.

The gift does not have to be something big, expensive, or even tangible. A simple act of kindness is unparalleled in front of an extravagant gift. Unlike material gifts, the art of giving is not constrained to inessential elements like age, financial status, and occasions. The one and the only requirement is giving with all your heart and soul. And that’s why generosity is limitless. It is like the third law of motion, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The pleasure you gift comes back to you tenfold.

Here at Pustak Foundation, we try to practice the art of giving every day through gifting smiles to the young ones. The best gift you can give someone is the gift of knowledge, something that brightens not just a day but a whole life. Donate your old books to open a new world of opportunities for the underprivileged. Can there ever be a more impactful gift than changing someone’s life? It doesn’t cost a whole lot, only a little extra time and effort that proves to be worth it every time we make a difference in someone’s life. We invite you too, to partake in this cycle of happiness so it rotates faster and faster every single day.