In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to share my latest insight on the spiritual practice that has made my life more beautiful and abundant than any dream I ever imagined.

I’m talking about the tithing model that I’ve been practicing for seven years, where I contribute 10% of my income to the people, places, and organizations who have fed me spiritually, inspired me and helped me remember who I really am.

If you believe the idea that what you put your attention on grows, then it might also make sense that when you give based on inspiration, you cause whatever or whoever is inspiring you to grow.

A surprising but consistent benefit of this practice has been that over and over again, the more I give, the more I receive. I’ll send out a $3,000 tithe, and then open my mailbox a few weeks later and find an unexpected check for $3,500. This happens all the time.

My theory is that tithing turns your money situation into a flowing river versus the stagnant pond that too many of us create if we don’t put a practice into place to keep things flowing. Picture a river as it flows rapidly down a sloping mountainside. The faster the water flows down and out, the more it pulls in from the top.

  In the same way, the more you give, the more you attract from Source.

That also means you’ve got to keep your giving moving to allow space for more abundance to come in.

You don’t want your giving fund to become a stagnant pond, where there’s nothing flowing in or out. I find that when I stop giving, the flow of my receiving tends to stagnate. Plus, what a glorious way to keep your attention on that which is good and inspiring in the world. A far cry from what you hear on the news!

Three Groups I’m Grateful To
Since tithing has enriched my company and my life so much, I’m going to turn the tables and thank my beneficiaries this year for giving me and my clients a place to give to.

Because of the transformative work of these three organizations, our giving fund inspired a roaring river of more than $200,000 in 2013, which blessed everyone, but especially us, in its path:

1. Fresh Start (freshstart.org). During my Impact & Influence Intensive live event, my company raised $81,400 from attendees for Fresh Start. The organization gives hope and reconstructive surgery to disadvantaged children suffering from facial deformities.

2. Just Like My Child (justlikemychild.com). I was so inspired last year by this organization’s empowerment of women and girls through healthcare, education and microenterprise that we raised funds for them again this year: $76,600 during a Sassy retreat and Event Profit Secrets. And then several Sassy contributors, my 10-year-old son and I even got to go to Africa this year to see our donations in action!

3. COTS (cots-homeless.org). By addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, as well as providing food and shelter, COTS enables people to break the cycle of homelessness for good and gets children off the street. During Speak-to-Sell this spring, we raised more than $43,000.

So the question is, who are you going to thank this year for giving you the inspiration to turn your giving fund into a river? Let me know below.