How giving sets off chain of events

Giving sets off a chain of events. The more you give, the more you create. A cow needs to give its milk before it can produce more milk. A sheep needs to be sheared so it can produce more wool. But when a tree produces fruit that no one takes, the fruit falls down and rots. When the river stop flowing, it stagnates.

When you stop giving, you stop creating.

If you close your fist, you cannot receive. When you open your hand and give, you can also receive. When you stop giving, you stop receiving Human beings need to give in order to achieve meaning and purpose.

About a decade ago I was invited to speak in Puerto Rico alongside Deepak Chopra. Deepak spoke eloquently about giving, and then we had a short coffee break before I spoke. During the break, Arsenio Rodriguez, then Secretary General of the New Humanity for Peace, asked me: “What do you give someone who has everything?”

I was taken aback by this question. I reflected that what you give someone who has everything is purpose—something to give back. I started my speech with that question as our audience consisted mostly of wealthy people who had much material abundance.

Many people strive during their lives to add zeroes to their net worth. However, they fail to reflect that in life we all start with a zero and end with a zero. We come into this world with nothing and depart with nothing.

My grandfather left India as a teenager to come to Africa. In his journey in the unknown land, he started from the bottom rung of the ladder. He worked at many menial jobs before earning enough to start his own business. All through his struggles he kept giving of his time, wisdom and resources to worthwhile causes.

My grandfather died in 1962, just around the time that our fortunes were taking a turn for the better, approximately 40 years after he moved to Tanzania. It took him four decades to establish himself. He spent all those years creating a better future for his children and grandchildren.

You might think he died having lived an impoverished life, but I would disagree. He lived a purposeful life, and a purposeful life is never futile. He was rich in giving. He took with him spiritual currency and the satisfaction that he got from creating a wonderful future for his family.

Some time back I spoke at a community event on the Power of Giving. When someone commented on the speech, I asked him my favourite question: “What is your one take-home idea from the speech?” He said, “[Ask not] what you will lose by giving but rather what you will lose by not giving!”

Instead of thinking of the time you will lose by doing voluntary work or the money you will lose by giving donations, think of the leadership and interpersonal skills you will fail to acquire by not volunteering your time.

Next time you are called to give—be it time, money, skills, knowledge, wisdom, good wishes— think of the loss you will incur by not giving.

Giving is a privilege and a blessing, not a burden. I spent hundreds of hours writing my first book, Seven Steps to Lasting Happiness. One of the key lessons for me in studying happiness was that the best way to get happiness is to give happiness.

Reach Azim Jamal of Corporate Sufi for feedback via email [email protected]