Give-A-Little, Lose-A-Little: Nurturing Big Change with Small Seeds

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You might remember my last blog about the quiet power of tiny tweaks—those subtle shifts that don’t look like much on the surface, but when planted consistently, have the power to transform our lives. Well, lately, I’ve felt the nudge to take that idea one step further. Enter my new personal project: Give-A-Little, Lose-A-Little.

It’s as simple as it sounds. Every day, I plant two tiny seeds:

• One of giving—a gesture, a donation, a kind word, an intentional moment of generosity.

• One of losing—not in a “what have I lost” sense, but more like letting go. A treat I don't really need. A habit that no longer serves me. A little luxury I can live without.

Let me give you an example. On Day 1, I donated a few dollars to a local Givealittle fundraiser for someone needing help with dog related medical costs. That was my “Give.” And my “Lose”? I skipped my go-to favorite snack that I usually reach for after dinner (I am going through a caramel popcorn phase - well, I was) —not as punishment, but as a conscious act of letting go.

This isn’t about restriction. It’s about putting to the test the principle of reaping and sowing, in a fun creative way.  Just like the principle of gardening and sowing seeds.  The harvest will come when it needs to and just like the principle of delayed gratification, the benefit of self-denial will eventually be a positive one.  It is a lot about me wanting to see change, calm and balance in every area of my life and quietly shifting the focus outward and inward—making space to bless others and release a little bit of clutter (physical, emotional, or otherwise) from my own life.

Why both?

Giving, there is a Univeral principle to it and it is a fascinating concept.  Giving is such a lovely thing to do, and not only does it help others, but it also immediately lifts the spirit. It reminds me that I have something to offer—even though it is small. It breaks the cycle of my own self-absorption and anchors me to the truth that we’re all connected.

Letting go— helps me notice what I’m holding onto too tightly to things that are not good for me (sugar is not my friend but a very regular companion). Stopping something I like that is not good for me challenges my comfort zones. And often, it surprises me: how little I have missed the thing I thought I “needed.”  Each time I thought of those things I have said no to, my thought process is "Nope, that is no longer an option".

Small seeds, again.

Much like I wrote in Tiny Tweaks blog, these little seeds of change are not dramatic, gestures. Most people wouldn’t even notice them. But I notice them. I feel them softening me, steadying me, strengthening me.  I really enjoy getting up lately to carry out my Give-A-Little, Lose-A-Little activity for the day. 

And I suspect that, like all seeds, something beautiful is beginning to grow beneath the surface.

Want to join me?

There’s no official rulebook here. Just an open invitation. One small act of generosity. One small act of surrender. Each day. That’s it.  I have created a simple free Journal page HERE for you if you want to join me. 

Tiny seeds. Little shifts. Gentle growth. We’re not striving. We’re sowing.  And that, I believe, is how real change begins.

Blessings,

Kylie Welch 
Author, Speaker & Mindset Coach