How giving works in all walks of life

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

Giving is a potent force and it works in all walks of life. When you give your customers extraordinary value, they give you more business. When you give to your colleagues, there is more harmony and camaraderie. If you mentor your subordinates, they perform better. When you are a loving spouse, you create harmony. When you love your children, they feel more secure. If your business gives to society, you earn credibility.

A study by the Reputation Institute suggests that Microsoft, the Walt Disney Company, Google, BMW and Daimler are viewed as the most responsible corporations, with marks based on three criteria: citizenship, governance and workplace.

Disney took high marks (49.6 percent of those surveyed, gave it thumbs up) due to its environmental programs like carbon offset goals. BMW’s commitment to transparency, and defending and protecting whistleblowers, earned it high marks from 48.8 percent of those surveyed; while Google received high marks from 51.1 percent of those surveyed because of its famously positive working environment.

Reflect on the following questions:

• Do you give unconditionally, without expecting anything in return? Think of a good thought for someone. How do you feel? 

• Do you have a “tight-fist” mentality, one that neither gives nor receives?

• When you pass on, what will you take with you?

• Do you have something to give – time, knowledge, experience, money?

• Do you give with respect, humility and love?

• Do you wait for the perfect time to give?

• Do you give the benefit of doubt to someone before judging them?

• Do you find an excuse not to give, or instead find an excuse to give?

• Do you keep a score on how much you’ve given to someone?

• Do you strive to give up anger, resentment, jealousy and negative ego? 

Consider this story by an anonymous author: Two brothers inherited their father’s land. T

hey divided the land in half and each one farmed his own section. In the course of time, the older brother married and had six children, while the younger brother never married. 

One night, the younger brother lay awake thinking that his brother needed more land to farm because he had six children to feed, while he was childless.

So that night, the younger brother gathered a large bundle of wheat from his side of the land and climbed the hill that separated the two farms, leaving the wheat on his brother’s land.

Earlier that same night, the older brother also lay awake, thinking that in his old age his wife and children will take care of him, while his brother would always be alone. So that night, he too dropped a large bundle of wheat on his younger brother’s land.

The next morning, the brothers were surprised to see that their amount of grain had not changed. This continued for a few nights until they realized what was happening, and embraced in joy.

We can always find something to give. The joy of giving does not spring from the availability of dispensable resources. True richness is defined not in how much you have, but how much you can give!