I personally have experienced the give and grow rich principal many times and it has nothing to do with chasing the almighty dollar. Its an attitude and an awareness about gratitude and love.

One thing that my Dad taught our family about abundance is very basic: Give with a heart of gratitude and you will be showered in blessings.  No matter how difficult the customer or how small the amount he profited, he always treated everyone the same.  My father was a farmer who struggled during the era where there was no insurance for his crops when family farms were totally dependent on the weather.  After 3 years of loss, he sold the farm and started a family business.  This was a transportation business where he built long and lasting relationships.  One of his methods of giving back was to plant a huge garden, which he loved because he could still enjoy growing food while providing for his family.  My Mother could never figure out why “he planted enough food to feed all of huron county”. He had two large gardens where he spent his spare time (many hours) tending to vegetables and he even grew cantelope and watermelons.  We knew he gave away produce to the neighbours but we didn’t know how much he gave, until he passed away.  At his wake, many people appeared and we had no idea who they were. There were families that came in gratitude and told us that they loved our Dad because of his generosity and he basically kept their family from starving.  We were told many stories of how my Dad had made up care packages of fresh produce, packages of meat (as he never lost his love of raising livestock) and distributed them to low income families in the war time housing on the base. He often would leave the food on their doorstep and the family knew it was from “Earl”.  Needless to say, when the priest spoke of my father’s genuine love and generosity, there wasn’t a dry eye in the church.  My father was not interested in wealth, he only wanted to provide a loving and secure home for his family and to enjoy his hobbies.  His whole approach to give and grow rich was being rich in the love from his family and friends and knowing that some of his small acts of human kindness would make a difference in other peoples lives.  When I return home to visit my family, I often drive around the neighbourhood on the old air-force base and think of my Father and the families who’s loads were a little lighter due to these wonderful acts of human kindness.  My Dad was the epitome of “give and grow rich”.

Karen