It’s new year’s day 2017 and I thought it would be a good time to write an entry for the 8th Focus, Perspective. Specifically, concerning the idea of giving back.
To live a life of worth, you have to give back. What do I mean by that? To most I’m sure you think I’m talking about money, or time, or effort… and you’re right. Those are all noteworthy things you should give back, however, there is a much deeper way of deciding what you should give in my opinion.
You should give back what you value the most. In fact, I would suggest you give back what causes you the most pain to lose. Obviously, there is no sacrifice in giving from ease. Traditional wisdom says if you have lots of money then giving money doesn’t really hurt you…right?
Well maybe… I say it depends… it’s not that simple…
If you are a person who LOVES money then, giving money will be very painful to you. In that case, you should give money. If you are a person who values their time above all else, then you should give your time to some form of charity since it costs you the most. You get it? The sacrifice will cause you to grow.
Personally, I have always been able to give money easily since I have been fortunate enough to have the skills to earn it easily. What this means is that when I give cash to a charity I don’t cringe. However, I have noticed that even though I don’t care so much about the money, it still bothers me a little to write the check. This made me ask why, and, the answer I found was surprising.
I found it wasn’t the money I gave away that bothered me, it was the “implied” security I lost when I gave the money away that disturbed my senses. Ultimately, it was fear that by giving that money away, I would be in some way committing my family to the streets or some horrible fate.
Obviously, that is a totally insane thought! But the introspection taught me that I valued “security” way too much. So… I stepped back, got perspective, wrote the check, and became better for it. There is no such thing as security in this life and there are people who have much less than me who give much more than I do. This perspective has made going into the new year much more focused for me since I now have another blueprint for growth.
Always give what hurts.
Question, what do you value the most and do you give it away?
Stay Focused,
Dax