On my copywriter and journalist in the UAE blog, I try and respond to all the reader comments and give tips when they ask for how to get a job in advertising, how to go about looking for copywriting opportunities in the UAE, etc. This is done without asking for anything in return. Many times, writing work I get is passed on to other writer friends, again, without taking for a cut. Is this odd behaviour in the dog-eat-dog world? Am I the crazy dog, then?
My friend Maliha Raza who is a fiction writer, poet and psychologist calls this behaviour the law of abundance. It is when people believe that there is enough in this world to go around for all of us. People who believe in this freely share what they have with others.
As a reader of this blog, you know I am moved more by spiritual stuff, so here's something I have found in my Bible study on this.
"“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”
Matthew 6:19-21
The Bible
This is in contrast to some people's belief in the law of scarcity which must have some ancient link to Darwin's 'theories' like the one about survival of the fittest. These scarcity-believers grab on to what they have, always fearful that others will take their share and they'll be left with little or nothing. They are secretive, don't like to share their best practices with others, and think that helping others without getting anything in return is stupidity.
In the world of computers, these two types of people can be seen as ones who are into open source sharing and ones who would monopolise every application in the world if they had their way. Even in the blogging world, there are bloggers who share with others how their blogs get traffic and what works for them. There are others who would never want you to know.
I personally have seen this proved in my life that the more you give away, the more it comes back to you manifold. Of course, the intention to begin with is not to give to get, but to give because you believe that you would not get poorer by doing so but could make someone a little richer.
While networking on Xing, I asked my friend Willie Zhang, the AbundanceCoach, what his perspective is and he said: "In China, we have a very old saying, an antique-like philosophy described in two words. "舍得", give to receive."“By no means shall you attain righteousness, unless you give of that which you love.”
Chapter 3, Verse 92
The Holy Qur'an
So well put, in so few words. You can read his Willie's full reply in the comment section.
Which one are you, dear reader? The one who won't share his loaf of bread or the one that would, even it means going a little hungry for a while, taking pleasure in feeding another hungry soul?
Technorati Tags: Giving, Open Source, Case Studies, White Papers, Best Practices, Islam, Muslims, Quran, Charity, Law of Abundance, Maliha Raza, Farrukh Naeem, Blogging, Sharing, Spirituality
1 comments:
It's interesting to learn about the law of scarcity or actually scare=city. In the glocal (global and local)communicties I network with either on a social or professional basis, I have found that the majority of the people are more concerned about getting value instead of giving away what they already have. Interestingly, the more they want, the less they get. In China, we have a very old saying, an antique-like philosophy described in two words. "舍得", give to receive. It is much more powerful than you can imagine if you look at how Buddhism has affected the whole Chinese culture. In fact, I belive in abunndace rather than scarcity and really think you only have to understand these two words to reach the mastery of networking.
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