After a bit of an absence, I’m returning to the blog and we’re fired up to help people clear their debt.

We’ve updated the book, breathed new life into the forum and I’ve been off for a tour of debt-free blogs to see what’s new. One of the first blogs I came to was IfIWereDebtFree - a newly started blog by Nathaniel, a Dad with a beautiful family. This is their first month, so I was interested in the steps they were taking to get started.

In the list of steps, the first was to increase their giving. I couldn’t agree more with this as a prosperity belief and action. My only concern was that Nathaniel said, “We will increase our giving each month, making it a little less comfortable”. For sure, not having money is uncomfortable, but surely giving should be a joyful experience?

I visit Thailand regularly, it’s a beautiful place I consider my second home. I have many Thai friends and feel lucky to have an insight into a fascinating and very different culture. Thailand is a buddhist country and this is evident everywhere, in the architecture, abundance of temples and the gentle way you are greeted and welcomed as a stranger. One of the strongest tenents of their culture is karma - what goes around, comes around. This translates to a remakable generosity in everyday life. When Thais are short of something - anything, that is what they give away. At New Year (Songkran, usually mid april), the countryside is dry and drinking water scant. Thai people spend 3 days joyfully throwing water over everyone they can find, giving the last of this precious resource in complete faith that their generosity will be rewarded with the rains that drench their lush land. This philosophy extends to business…

When visiting Thai markets and shops, it is wise to get there as they open. The first customer of the day will always get the best bargain. For the trader, this ensures a good flow of business through the day as their generosity comes back to them. I have bought things for pennies just as the market has opened and been thanked for bringing luck to the trader.

I have decided to emulate that generosity as I restart the blog after a break. So, Nathaniel, your generosity inspired me - I would love to have you along on the playbook system, so please accept it as a gift and thank you for sharing your story. For anyone else - click on over to their blog - give them a bit of encouragement - and see what you can learn from their story.

Lastly, on the subject of giving - a wise friend once said to me… “Give till it shines, but never till it hurts.”