Today I made a small donation to a cause that inspired me. It wasn't really because of the holiday, it didn’t cost me much, and I won’t miss the money. Yet, I still felt good after I pushed the button that finalized the commitment.
Notice how selfish this sounds: It felt good to give! I was the one with the benefit.
But this is how it works. The more you give, the better you feel.
Give it a try.
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I heard someone say that recently. I don’t remember the context but I really liked the sentiment.
This whole concept of “giving back”—it kind of implies a certain arrogance. It suggests that everything we’ve received comes from our own hard work, and that we are deserving of whatever wealth or status we hold.
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A few weeks ago in Miami I only had a $5 bill when it came time to get out of the airport shuttle.
I'd love to tell you I gave the driver five bucks instead of the usual $1-2, but I kept it in my pocket and just said "Thanks." Generosity fail.
When it comes to generosity, the general rule with me is: Win some, lose some. It's funny how I don't often regret being generous, but when I choose to be stingy, it comes back to me later.
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What, you didn't know that Luciano Pavarotti was huge on Twitter? Oh yes. Or at least, he could have been. See, every day I talk with various people about their projects. Inevitably, I hear a lot of questions that are rooted in this premise:
"How can people give me their attention?"
In other words: “How can I get more for myself?” The more in question varies: interest, customers, website traffic, subscribers, money, whatever—but it always relates to an increase in focus on the individual.
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