Giving Without Expectation – Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 4)🎧Episode 67

🎧 Episode #67 Giving Without Expectation – Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 4)

What happens when we give without thinking about what we’ll get back?

In this episode, I explore the quiet power of generosity and everyday kindness. How do our small, everyday giving acts shape our identity and strengthen human connection? A smile on a crowded street. Holding the door. Driving a friend home. Doing someone’s laundry when they’re overwhelmed.

These gestures may seem minor, but they ripple outward in powerful ways. In today's episode, we’ll reflect on:

• Giving without keeping score
• Why generosity strengthens self-respect
• How presence and attention are often the greatest gifts
• The surprising ways giving returns to us

Giving isn’t transactional. It’s transformational.

💜Give because someone needs it.
💛Give because connection helps define our humanity.

Check out episode #67 and explore your giving nature and the wonderful ways that giving transforms your life. That’s the fourth lesson my mom taught me.

💭Key Takeaways from this Episode:

• Small gestures have a big impact. Even micro movements (holding the door, smiling at a stranger, offering a few minutes of attention) can transform someone’s day and ripple through their mood. Generosity isn’t measured by scale, but by presence.
• Giving without keeping score strengthens your identity. Giving without expectation reinforces your own values and sense of self. Generosity reflects who we are, not what we hope to get back.
• Presence is the greatest gift you can offer someone: active listening and staying attentive show you care.
• Generosity feeds the giver, too, adding fulfillment and connection to our lives. Through giving, we develop our sense of purpose and watch our compassion and self-respect grow.
• Your generosity has a ripple effect, even if unseen by others in that moment. What we offer to others may circle back to us in ways we never expect, and it may inspire others to give.

Sweet & Fizzy

By Jill Hodge

I give you a flower, and you give me a smile
I give you a hug, and you give me one back
I give you some ease, oh, that moment’s rare
And you give me back my soul,
Cause an open one needs care

I give you my time, and you fill it up so tenderly
I give you an open path, and you shine and glide on by
I give you compassion, and your love grows, reaching for the sky
And you give me back my life
Cause presence is precious,
And our moment cuts through strife

The tables turn so fast, a winsome day
Cause you gave, and I gave, and
We connected along the way
I wish I could tell you all that it means
When the wind blows and the house shakes
When the tears are shed, and the heart breaks
I recall the moment you saved,
And the pain, why it just falls away

And when the storm settles down
We return to our ways of giving
In silence and in stealth
Cause we don’t need to tell
We just enjoy our life, that’s the living

The best that life can offer
Comes when the hands are busy,
And the loud crash of becoming
Who we were meant to be,
bubbles up, all sweet and fizzy

Journal Prompts to Explore Your Love for Someone Special

Here are some journal prompts to write or reflect on the way that giving to others is the best gift you can give them and yourself.

Giving to others without expecting anything in return is about living life with connection, compassion, and self-respect. It’s a reflection on your values, your creativity and problem-solving abilities, and your human capacity to honor someone else.

Give because it feels good, give because someone needs it, give to connect, and give to have an impact – that is the fourth lesson my mom taught me. 🌞

Podcast Music: My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music and sound effects for my podcast are sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this podcast episode: 10X by Ghost Beatz; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Related Episodes:

Take Notice of Little, Beautiful Things — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 3) - Episode #66

Recognize the Good in Others — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 2) – Episode #65

Let People Know You Love Them — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 1) – Episode #64

Mother Teresa on Doing Small Things with Great Love - Episode #48

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Journaling Resources

30-Day Journal Challenge (Writing Prompts to Get Started)

Here’s a fun & simple 30-day journal challenge for beginners (or those who need inspiration). Use the daily prompts to rediscover yourself.

Let the Verse FlowJill Hodge

Journaling 101: An Inspirational Guide to Start (or Revive) a Practice

Whether you write, doodle, draw, or keep memorable quotes, journaling uncovers YOU. Let your unconscious mind speak, download my free guide.

Let the Verse FlowJill Hodge

Let the Verse Flow (and its companion newsletter Flow & Voice) is a creative project created with love by writer, podcast host, and narrator Jill Hodge. If you subscribe today, you'll have full access to the website and newsletter, including articles, podcast episodes, and the Flow & Voice monthly note. Members are vital to building a rich community of diverse voices. Join us by subscribing today; consider a paid subscription to support Jill's work. Thank you!