082: Why Giving Matters

Do you ever have a book sitting around for a long time but never make the time to get around to reading it?

Okay, I have more than a few of these, but The Go-Giver is probably the shortest book that has been. Yesterday, I gave myself a rare off-day and decided to pick up the book. Actually, I won't lie, I threw a delicious smelling bath bomb into my tub and started reading it in there! To my pleasant surprise, the book wasn't like a typical business book jam-packed with practical info but was told in the form of a parable.

Now that the book was super simple to swallow, I actually couldn't put it down. What's the last book that's been like that for you? Probably a fictional book, right? Combining these methods is pretty genius!

The book ran through 5 keys to having Stratospheric Success, which were the Laws of Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity, and Receptivity. Alone, these words sound pretty boring and typical, but what's interesting is the way they can be used that you might not think of.

But before we get into that, let's talk giving. I like giving, it's fun. Probably you do too. The part I don't like, buying...spending my money. Unfortunately, these two things go hand in hand, for the most part. If you aren't spending your time, resources, money, maybe you should re-examine if you're really giving anything haha! I find it especially hard to give when money isn't just freely sitting around for me to spend on others, charitable causes, even church tithes.It's just not the easiest thing to watch your money go to something besides your personal benefit.

I actually heard a quote recently and it said something like, If you don't give when you have little, you will find it much harder (and probably won't give) when you have much. Take a 10% tithe for example. If you won't give $1 out of $10 that you have, do you think you'll be prepared to give $1000 out of $10,000 that you make? Tough right?

So, knowing and hearing the importance of giving, this brought me to the question: How do I produce a giving heart, and is it even worth it?

To expand on the Laws I mentioned above, let me dive a little deeper. My biggest takeaway from this book is that giving isn't always just about handing money over, there are many other ways that we often overlook which may be more important. So let's explore these.

By Value, I mean you give more value than you take in payment. This means that if someone is paying you to do something, you freely go above and beyond. Every day you have the opportunity to do more than you're paid to do in your workplace. Look for ways to jump in and help with a giving heart.

By Compensation, I mean your income is determined by how many people you serve. No, it's not how good of job you do. Of course, doing good work is important for anything, but how much you can get paid has no limit. The more people you serve, the more you can get paid. Think about ways you can expand the realm of people you serve - this usually means you have to get creative!

By Influence, I mean how much you place other people's interests before your own. I must say, I'm quite guilty of this. If I do something, it's usually for my benefit, and even if I do it for someone else, I still want the majority of the benefit. This book dives into the importance of letting others win and helping others achieve what they want. By placing others interests before your own, you develop a unique type of respect that isn't given very often.

By Authenticity, I mean offering your personality, offering you. Many people think that they are limited when it comes to having specific skills, but we all know that more often than not, people get jobs or clients because of knowing someone and that someone liking them. By simply being a good person and maintaining confidence in yourself, you already have a ton to offer.

By Receptivity, I mean that you have to be willing to receive. I always find it funny when people feel awkward r...