The Power of Giving

We live in a world that encourages us to accumulate more, more and more. Whether it’s more money, houses, cars, watches, you name it and there is an advertisement out there trying to sell you the latest and greatest. Capitalism is awesome, and sure you may say that a person reaps what they sow, but the pressure put on society to “succeed” in life is relentless. From a young age we are bombarded with the concepts of me, my and mine. It’s not hard to see how the status quo for most adults is to strive for greater wealth. Amongst all this selfishness and constant taking, it’s easy to forget the importance and power of giving.

Imagine a world where no one gave but everyone took whatever they could. Would it not be a sad world? A middle class would no longer exist and a division between upper and low class would be clearer. Crime would soar and the precursors for a social revolution can be expected.

In my opinion I would not be comfortable making it to the echelons of upper class knowing there are people struggling in the lower classes. I myself am in a relatively comfortable situation, however, I am a huge advocate for giving proportionally to what you receive. The more you receive the more you give.

Giving allows the giver to experience the emotions of compassion and empathy. The giver has little to benefit, however, in the situation of the receiver, it may be life changing. At the age of nine, Lebron James moved in with his football coach to be in a more stable environment. This coach fed him, nurtured him, and surprisingly introduced him to the sport of basketball. The rest is history. Oprah Winfrey attributes her success to a fourth grade teacher whom encouraged her to embrace a love of learning. With that mentorship she developed a mind-set and the confidence to become the woman she is today. Successful entrepreneurs such as Jack Ma constantly struggled with finding work, getting rejected even at KFC. This was until he was given an opportunity and informed about the internet. In his case, it was knowledge and information he received from a friend that changed his life.

One may say that I must have enough for myself before I can give. But let’s not forget that giving doesn’t have to come in the form of cash and enough will never be enough. Old clothes and shoes would be happily worn by someone who could not afford their own pair. Giving time is one often people forget is a valuable gift. It’s not difficult to spare a few hours to help out a charity. If you’re an experienced professional, think about giving some of your time to mentor an intern. If you’re a counsellor, why not spend a few hours doing pro bono work.

The power of giving is life changing for both the giver and receiver. For the giver, it is easy to become desensitised and lose compassion for those who are in less desirable situation. Giving is a way to enhance those feelings and remind one to be humble. The privileged have a responsibility to be aware of the ones who are not. Life is not easy and sometimes it’s not fair, however, every one of us can make life just a little bit fairer for those who have struck out in the lottery that is life.