- Interviewed about personal branding
- Need YOUR help: European survey about mentoring
- Training in Riga, Latvia
- The intoxication of love
- 5 things I learned by following my passion!
- How to Find Motivation After Failure
- Video: From the JCI World Congress 2009
- ITF 132! That is me!
- Kill me, my faithful friends
- Nightmares - keeping me alive!
How giving is recieving
Submitted by kairoer on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 07:12.
For many years, people told me that I would need to give in order to receive. Heck, even one of the great books (Bible) says so. And it found it really hard to grasp the idea, and how that would apply to me, to my life.
I thought that hard work, dedication to my tasks, and following the mainstream idea having a house, car, wife, kids and perhaps a dog or two would make me happy. I did not give a nickel about giving anything, it was more important to me to get. To receive. To make my own fortune, to get the fame I new I deserved.
I set down this path with all my vigor, all my power, all my passion. I expected to be happy. Perhaps not right away, but at least the moment money and fame started to appear. I did receive. I did get money, and I did get some fame. What I never got, was to be happy. And to me, being happy is what this life is all about. After all, what is the purpose of making an effort if you do not feel good? What good does it make you if you do not get rewarded in a way that makes sense to you?
Over the years, I learned a couple of things about myself. The first, the hardest one, was simply that I do not get motivated about money. If someone would offer you 10 million US$, would you turn them down? Even in Norway, this kind of money amounts to something. Add to the fact that all you had to do to get this amount was to sell a part of your company, and split it 50% with your business partner? What would you have done? How far would you be willing to stretch yourself and your values to get 10 million US$?
It was hard to accept that in my society, where money matters so much, I just don’t give a darned thing about it.
The other thing I have learned is how I receive when I give. The things that give me the most pleasure in life is to give something meaningful to someone else. It does not really matter if it is someone totally unknown to me, or someone I love dearly. What does matter is that giving them something that is of true value, preferably what I call Life Changing value; then I feel alive. The ability, gift, of making such an impact on other people is what makes my life give sense to me.
And the gift is not material. Everyone can buy his wife a car or a house. But how many of you spend time understanding what your wife really wants? And then give it to her? Those little things that means so much – a heartily caress, listening to what she is saying, caring about how she is pursuing her own life goals.
It does not have to be your spouse. You can easily give something of great value to a stranger on the street; to your boss; to your colleagues; and to friends. It is as easy as giving a smile, offering a service or giving them true attention.
I promise you that this kind of attention to other people will help you get more and better attention from others. And as you give this kind of attention, people will start caring more about you. They perceive you as someone how cares, as someone who want them to succeed and to have a great life. The amazing thing is that when they perceive you like that, that is also the image they project back to you. And you grow your own success!
I am not saying this is any easy, nor that it makes any sense to you. What I am saying is that to me, these are the things that are important. And to me, they make perfect sense. This is what creates value in my life. This is how I choose to live my life, and live good.
Giving
Great to hear that we think alike! Giving is what gives me energy. It fills a hole. I tend to pursue the next opportunity to give and make others prosper. I believe in sharing what is important, money is still just a peper with numbers on. Time is important... And you don't know how much time is left.
If you had 86 400 dollars in your account eerey day, and you knew that by midnight this would disappear, wouldnt you invest them in something important? Wouldnt you try your best to use them wisley?
So why is it that we tend to waste 86 400 seconds every day? when time is more important than money?
Have a great day!
Post new comment