Giving

Thursday June 1, 2017 #893

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”

~Mother Teresa

This timeless quote reminds us to never think our actions do not make a difference.  You don’t need to be a wealthy philanthropist to make a dent in causes important to you.  There are great sites that enable us to find and support charities and causes with small donations or even just volunteering time or services.  Even those often cited “small acts of kindness” truly make a world of difference to those you touch.  The key is to stop thinking about it and simply to act in small ways and in bigger ways, if you are capable with your time or resources.

At the beginning of the 6^th month of this year (can you believe it!?), reflect on the ways you can make a small contribution to the betterment of the world around you.  Start by smiling at your family member and thank them for being in your life.  Expressed gratitude is surely the greatest of the “small” gifts we can choose to give today.

Thank you for being a loyal and participative audience to these posts.  I’m grateful for all of you!  Let’s find a way to give a little something today.

Grow Your Capacity to Give

Thursday August 13, 2015 #749

“The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.”

~Wallace Wattles

Giving of your time, wealth and resources to others is exceptionally rewarding and I believe a social and moral imperative.  However, you must never cease building your resources – physical, financial, emotional.  It is only through continuing to make the most of yourself that your resources, and therefore your capacity to give, continue to grow.  Never stop learning, never stop innovating, never stop finding new ways to solve old and new problems.  You are key to the success of those around you – keep pushing yourself and those you lead to create value and resources that can help ever more people succeed along with you.

A Little Goodness

Tuesday January 21, 2014 #595

 

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

 

~John Wesley

 

I think most of us want to be positive, giving, generous people all the time.  However, our very human nature can trip us up with our desires, greed, selfishness, worries, and jealousies.  The point and the goal is not to be perfect.  The point is to at least be “net positive” – to be a good person more than not.  And as we grow in our experience and wisdom, the goal should always be to improve the ratio of good to not so good.  How is your ratio today?  Try a little goodness right now.

Doing Good

Tuesday January 7, 2014 #591

 

“In the quiet hours when we are alone and there is nobody to tell us what fine fellows we are, we come sometimes upon a moment in which we wonder, not how much money we are earning, nor how famous we have become, but what good we are doing.”

 

~A.A. Milne

As humans we tend to judge our worth (and we tend to judge others) on various forms of scorekeeping:  wealth, position, title, address, physical appearance, etc.  However, at some point we all find that the only true measure of our worth is what we give and the good we do for others.  Unfortunately, many don’t have this realization until their death bed or some tragedy or another.  Why wait for this realization to be forced upon you?  Rather, be a more intentional and positive force of good for your family, community and workplace.  Measure the success of each day not on what you’ve accomplished for yourself, but rather what you have accomplished for or given to others.

 

Perhaps counter-intuitively, focusing on others in fact delivers more intangible and tangible personal worth for you than if you focused merely on yourself.

Giving

Thursday November 28, 2013 #580

“Success isn’t great because of the stuff you get. It’s great because of the stuff you suddenly are allowed to give.”

~Robin InspirationEnergy

An amazing gift of success is the ability to give of yourself – time, money, skills – to those who can benefit.  Giving can be tiny – a smile, a word of thanks, or some of your time.  Or massive (think of what Bill & Melinda Gates are doing with their foundation).  And for most of us, our ability to give falls within these boundaries.  In the end, what we give is not the issue.  It is that we give at all.  Think of all you’ve been given in your life and think about how you can begin or continue to return the favor. 

Three questions:  What can you and what will you give, and to whom?  Start with a little of your time and enjoy the tangible and intangible gifts you will receive from giving.

True Greatness

Tuesday November 26, 2013 #579

“No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction.”

~Charles Kendall Adams

The majority of people put forth just enough effort to be relatively comfortable.  That gives you and me the opportunity to rise above this mediocrity and do amazing things!  Be the person who tries a bit harder, shows up a bit earlier, gives a bit more than is required, defends someone a bit weaker, laughs a bit more often, and decides to be a bit more successful.  Starting now.

You have gifts to share

Thursday August 30, 2012 #450

“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

 ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Your family, your workgroup, your organization, your community, and your planet need you.  You can start your service by serving yourself:  your health, your talents, your spirit.  While doing so, choose someone or something to serve with a bit of your time and talent, and possibly your wealth.  Regardless of your station in life, you have gifts to share.  Please give freely.  Yes, you can be great.

 

Thank you to frequent JAMmer AK for sharing today’s quote.

You Make Me Proud

Thursday July 19, 2012 #438

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” 

~Mother Teresa

I recently received this feedback on something I had done in my work life from a superior:  “You make me proud.”  He was also specific as to why.  I can’t tell you how powerful that was for me.  So simple for this person to share, and so meaningful to me.  This feedback, and the power of it, reminded me how easy it is to make a positive impact on someone with authentic words of praise or gratitude.  I have since intentionally increased the amount of specific and authentic positive feedback for my work associates and family members. 

I urge you to do the same.

Give to give, or give to get. Either way, give.

Tuesday October 4, 2011 #356

 “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”

 ~William Shakespeare

It does not surprise me that most people act upon their tendencies of greed and selfishness.  These are natural human traits that we must intentionally avoid if we want to be virtuous.  What does surprise me is how few recognize the benefit to self that follows helping others.  Even if you struggle with focusing on others’ vs. your own needs, I ask you to consider the overwhelming evidence that supports the notion that he who helps others, helps himself.  Whether out of selfishness or out of virtue, it is always more desirable to actively seek ways to help others.  Who will you help today?

Give when it counts. Give without counting.

Tuesday August 4, 2009 #143

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

~Mother Teresa

Enjoy #5 of the “5 Life Lessons” by Geir Ove Knutsen:  “Giving When it Counts”

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.”
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.

The Lesson:  Give when it counts. Give without counting. Give!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these “5 Life Lessons”.  I’ve enjoyed giving them to you!