Visiting family with a GIVER mindset

Last week I came to Portugal with my children and I spent time with family and also some friends.

When I visit home I always have the feeling there is something different, my 5 senses get very sensitive, and everything become a place of a sort of story…even the less good ones.

This time was the time I spent longer without going home, I didn’t see my family about more than a year, as living in US and having a newborn was a blocker to go earlier.

I got a bit nervous, and normally I was coming home with the feeling that I am here to get back what I am losing while I am away, so I used to behave as a Taker. This time, and because I thought about it as one of my year’s resolution, I wanted to go home with the Giver mindset. I was not sure what does this mean, but my plan was to support my mom and my dad, giving a priority to my family as the meeting schedules, and be a real auntie…

I honestly didn’t have time for nothing, not even to keep up with the blog, but I was so glad that I did this decision, taking as my mantra “I am a GIVER”…I want to see my family happy, so I need to make it happen while I am there.

If I do this within my team at work, why shouldn’t I do this at home, especially if they need me, and sometimes it was only a positive talk or the dinner I cooked to my mom, or the day I spent with my children and nephews, and see their smiles in their faces, or babysitting my nephews, so my sister and brother in law can have a dinner out.

This people are the ones who really know me, sometimes it is a bit scary when there are stories I would prefer not remember. But accepting our history is one of the first steps of self growth to embrace the future. In this case also to enjoy the present, and make sure this present will be a good history in the future.

Be a Giver, it is good for your personal fulfillment, as Tony Robbins states it is one of the 6 Human Needs, “Contribution: a sense of service and focus on helping, giving to and supporting others”.

Thank you

AnnaJo