Do you want to know one of the most powerful ways to increase your influence and wealth?
Do you want to know a way to improve your quality of life and to grow your network of friends and resources?
Sure you do, and guess what, you have the ability to do with ease. It is not even a new idea and it has been working for thousands of years with those who are willing to take the time.
It is through giving back that we have the ability to gain the most from our lives. Yep, giving back to our community, to our family, to our friends, and even to nature is when we can gain the most.
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Here is an example of how it works. I have a skill of visually facilitating people and organizations to new levels of thinking and action. Many people need this type of talent to support them in moving to the next level of growth. As a way to give back I shared my skills at no cost to a non-profit organization to help them focus their energy and talents. They were please with the outcome which was just what they were looking for.
The positive feedback that I received confirmed that the work that I did with them contributed to improvement. Sounds good so far eh? But wait there is more. It is not until a year later that I got a call one of the board members that had been looking for the right opportunity to plug me into a corporate session she was in charge of. Just like that what I gave was returned not only money, but also in tremendous trust that I was the right person for the job. Hired I am and the relationship continues on and on.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James
Very powerful indeed, yet why is that so many of us out there are only willing to give when we know for sure we are going to get something back, or worse yet, we only are going to take and not give anything away?
Giving back has the power to help you reach your dreams. Do you want to be an environmentalist who works with saving dolphins? Find out who needs your help and sign up to give away your skills, even if those skills mean holding the radar that monitors dolphin movement.
Do you want to start a business, but don’t know where to start? Find a company that is like the one you would like to start and see if you can give away your talents and skills part time to get your foot in the door. See if you really like what you think you want to do and then learn what it takes to do what you want to do.
Do you want to get more integrated into your community? Join a board or two that focuses their activities on something you are passionate about. The next thing you know you are plugged in to your community and new opportunities will show themselves along the way.
Now there is a caveat in all of this. You have to show up when you give “it” away. You can’t just sit down, walk around, and not contribute something of value. You must be pro-active and positive. Giving not only of your time to show up to board meetings, but also getting things done when the board does not meet makes it all come together.
This is one of the secrets people with happy, connected, and influential lives have and now you can have this as part of a life of giving too. And guess what? It doesn’t cost you anything but your time.
You say you don’t have any time that you are already stretched to the limit? There is a saying out there that I have found to be true, “If you want to get something done give it to a busy person.” Why do you think that is? Perhaps it is because busy people have learned how to maximize their time and are able to pull resources to make things happen in a highly effective way.
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” Edward Everett Hale
One way to find more time is to reduce or remove the time you watch television. Amazingly, the average person in America watches 4 hours of television a day. What that translates into is that in a 65-year life, the person watching 4 hours of television a day will have spent 9 years of their life glued to the boob-tube.
Think about how much you could do with those 9 years if you spent them giving back, contributing to your community, and reaching for your full potential. There is no time like the now to start.
Where ever you want to go in life you can get to if you are willing to work hard enough to get it. Giving back is a good place to start.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy – but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” Leo Rosten
Let me know what you think.
Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create yourself.