Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Make Giving your Lifestyle


Narayanamurthy, the father of Indian IT Sector (Time Magazine) and one of the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time - at any instance, had only 8 clothes to wear. A major part of his wealth went in giving it away to the needy. Stupid guy. He could have invested his money in startups, equities, real estate or anywhere else where it could have grown by leaps and bounds without even his active involvement. He may be a good guy but was not a wise investor for sure. 
Or was he? Oh..Hold on...Give it a second thought. He is a very wise investor indeed. Because he realizes the law of nature - the law of giving.

Well, it is highly unlikely that you are Mr. Narayanamurthy or his wealth equivalent if you are reading my article. This blog, and this article is owned by a common person like me. These articles are also read by common people like you and many others. Then what and how can you relate to Mr. Narayanamurthy or for that matter to globally wealthy philanthropists like Bill & Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet or anyone else that you know of.

You can relate very well to them because Giving does not call for a specific minimum amount. Because Giving does not want you to be rich and famous as a pre-requisite. 'Giving' is an investing principle that works on faith and human values. What and How much we Give is always less important than the intent with which we Give.

You give not because you want to be known as a great human being, or you want to be famous. You give because you have taken. You have taken so much from everyone around you that it has become a moral and a financial obligation for you to repay your "debt". You are taking every day and every moment - from the Oxygen to breathe - to the space for living on this planet - to the wood that builds up your house and furniture - to the sand, bricks and mortar - to everything that you can think of. There is so much you have already taken that even if you start Giving now, it is very unlikely that you will be able to payback the entire debt before you die.

But you got to start somewhere. So, let us start right here, right now. Giving is a habit. You do not need money or time to start giving. Giving is a lifestyle. It is something that can be done by anyone from anywhere. If you truly desire, it is easy to incorporate this principle as a part of your life style. 

  • Just drank water? Offer a glass to the next person in the queue. 
  • Sitting in a metro? Offer your seat to the person standing even if he or she is not handicapped or a woman
  • Got 5 burgers packed for your family? Get one extra packed and handover to the next needy you meet on the way home. 
  • Throwing away your child's used clothes, toys? Get them dumped in your car and hand over to the next needy you meet at the traffic signal.
  • Crossing a road? See if anyone needs help to cross the same road.
  • Have left over food after your business lunch with your client? Get it packed and make sure it reaches someone who can truly value it.
  • Eating a Fruit? Just sow the seed and water it for a few weeks.
  • Someone honking at your car? Just give side and pass a smile.
  • Something falls off from a fellow shopper in the shopping mart? Be the first one to make an attempt to pick it up.
  • See an injured person on the road? Give your time. Your meetings and appointments can wait. 
  • Woke up early morning? Plan how will you serve every family member today.
  • .......

Give. Serve. Contribute. Value Add. 
You were born to give, to serve, to contribute and to add value in whatever you encounter in your life.
Your happiness resides in the process of performing these acts. Try, if you have never tried. You might very well be surprised.

You are sent here to add value rather than to take away and leave this planet lesser than what you inherited. Do not only keep hoarding and collecting in life. Start to give. Start learning to give. Stagnant water stinks while running water does not. Keep giving..he will fill you up..because HE wants to give to all his children. 

This is the law of Giving. If you have faith, it is one of the wisest investments you would ever do in your life. Not that it will always pay you materialistically, it will surely pay you in much bigger and better ways that you would never have dreamed of - because when you have made giving as your lifestyle, you are a part of the ecosystem that HE created. And the law of this ecosystem clearly states that : The more we give - the more we get.
Like the Article?  Share it. It may make someone's day or impact someone's life forever.

Want to read more about Giving ?  Click here

The book Happiness Unlimited shows you many such lessons to lead a happier, contented life.

Cheers


6 comments:

  1. Dear Manoj,

    Excellent article. totally in consonance with laws of nature. How can one expect to receive unless some one is willing to give. The more i read your writing the more i feel motivated.

    keep up the good work

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear aaa (unfortunately cannot tell your real name with this :))
      thanks and cheers friend !

      Delete
  2. Hey Dharmesh.... Thanks and Cheers buddy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, you are right Sir let us make giving our habit, let us incorporate in our life.Thanks Sir, your articles are adding value to our day-to-day life.

    ReplyDelete