Balance And Spirit

The Joy of Giving, and Giving, and Giving, and….

By Joe Marchelewski ⋅ August 27, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Subscribe By Email ⋅ Post a comment

In a film that deserved much more fanfare than it got, About Schmidt, tells the story of a man who seems to have lost his way in the world.  One of the things that brings his life meaning is giving money to an orphan boy “Ndugu.”  From this film came two great quotes:

“I suppose the most you can hope for is to make some kind of difference, but what kind of difference have I made? What in the world is better because of me?”

and

“Relatively soon, I will die. Maybe in 20 years, maybe tomorrow, it doesn’t matter. Once I am dead and everyone who knew me dies too, it will be as though I never existed. What difference has my life made to anyone. None that I can think of. None at all.”

It’s never to early to think about a legacy, to think about how one’s own life can make an impact far exceeding the years one can live.  An a vital link must be made between personal development and legacy, because that is one of the things that brings true joy.  Knowing that you’re becoming a good person, or becoming a better person and knowing that your development is a blessing to others is a feeling that can’t be bought.  While none of us may be able to reach the heights of Mother Teresa, we can change the lives of others by sacrificing of ourselves simply to allow others the opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.

Here are some tips and thoughts on how giving can improve your own life, and how to figure out ways to give:

• Scientific research has shown that bringing joy to others actually benefits one’s own mind and heart.  In fact, they found that the biblical proverb “it is better to give than to receive” was extremely true.  When people gave, it satisfied certain parts of their brains more than when they won money.
• Make sure you know where your money goes.  A recent article revealed that barely 10% of the $248 billion donated last year by Americans went towards helping the poor.  That’s not very much obviously, and one way to become discouraged in your giving is to become hardened by corruption and inefficiency.  So, before you start giving, research the organization you are giving to, make sure a significant percentage of the money given goes towards the cause, and make sure you keep tabs on the people within the organization as much as you’re able to.
• Research at Johns Hopkins University showed that devoting time to causes improves a person’s health, in part because it gives them more of a purpose, more of a reason to live.
• Find a cause you have a personal connection to.  Has a loved one died of cancer, then donating to a cancer fund or cancer treatment might be a good idea.  Were you abused as a child or as an adult?  Then giving to a battered women’s shelter or donating time to Big Brothers/Big Sisters could be the way to go.  If all your charitable billing becomes is a bill, then you’ll miss the blessing.