Day 301/366 days Towards Self-Mastery.
Each to their own. Tithing is something that was required of all good Catholics back in the day. Then I visited the Vatican. That put an end to my tithing.
Typically 10% of everything you earn, tithing is a long held spiritual tradition, the purpose of which is to support those less able than yourself.
From my limited knowledge, I understand it is also intended to be a way of fashioning your attitude towards money. Once you have accepted tithing as a virtue, you too receive in equal portion.
Well, I'm a bit cynical about these sorts of traditions. In the time that this idea was manifested, people weren't quite as curious and interested in knowing the ins and outs of traditions, more inclined to follow religious instructions just because, in the sure knowledge that religious leaders knew best.
I'm sure that there was great merit in many traditions, however the trust has evaporated and with it the return on the tithe, I suspect.
Nowadays we need to have a great deal of faith, at least in Western societies, to believe that life delivers what we need. We have become too invested in the cognitive and too dependent on a pay check, with little understanding of what was once spiritual or metaphysical.
Incidentally, the spiritual is becoming less mystical as the exploration of physics expands.
Energetically what we focus on we become attuned to and naturally attract/create more of that into our lives. The physics of the unified field shows us that we are connected to all things in the universe. It's a lot to get your head around but there you have it. The cognitive will be satisfied if you understand the physics.
The trouble for most of us is that we focus on the lack of money, rather than the abundance of it. We feel it's lack every single day, so to focus our attention elsewhere is a bit of mission, even for the most practiced manifesters.
Tithing is one such method of focussing your attention on the abundance of money. If you can convince yourself that you are wealthy enough to give 10% away, you can rest in the certainty that it will be returned to you. I have yet to accomplish this mission.
How about you? Do you tithe? What are your thoughts?
For me I give my time and attention and anything I have in surplus. Sarah suggests that what you give you receive. That's not always my experience. I find that by giving my surplus and things no longer needed, I receive what I need. It seems to work that way for me.
I also make a point of giving my time and attention to those who have received very little time and recognition, acknowledgment and validation. It makes my world a better place to help and support others. In return I live well.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.