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Here’s How I Do It (Giveaway Announcement)
1 Actionable Tip to Become a Better Giver
Wisdom Made Easy
November 11, 2023
Hello friends, it’s Michael here!
In today’s newsletter, I reflect on the remarkable power of giving and an actionable way that you can start giving more to those around you, but first…
Vote on the Prize of Next Week’s Giveaway!I’m feeling in a giving mood, so in next week’s newsletter I’ll be giving something away. Click the links below to vote on the prize. |
Are You a Giver?
I don’t watch Mr Beast.
I find that most of his videos aren’t my type of thing:
I don’t care for someone eating a $70,000 slice of pizza
Watching representatives from every country battle it out for $250,000 doesn’t interest me
Seeing him survive at sea for 7 days isn’t on my must-watch list
But regardless of whether or not his video content interests me, I admire that he uses much of his resources for the better of the planet.
In the last 5 years, the Mr Beast brand has:
But Jimmy Donaldson (Mr Beast) has recently received criticism for building 100 wells in Africa as some activists and journalists are suggesting it perpetuates the narrative that some “African countries rely on handouts”.
I’m not familiar with the political landscape of these countries and it’s really not my place to comment on such things, but I find it remarkable that someone could be subject to such grief because they’re charitable.
This whole situation has got me thinking…
🎁 Give, No Matter What People Think
Providing we’re giving from a genuine place of generosity and not ulterior motives, we should be able to give freely.
I’m aware that it is unlikely that you will have the resources that Mr Beast has - I certainly don’t!
But that doesn’t mean that we can’t give, no matter where we are in life.
The way that enables my wife and I to be generous is through something that we like to call our Support Fund.
Every month when we get paid, we pay our bills and divide money out into pots.
This includes putting money away for emergencies or to pay next year’s car insurance, but one of the pots is to support our friends and family.
It’s the only pot of money that I’m excited to see go down in amount because it means we’re helping people!
Each month we put £30 into the Support Fund. Sure, it may not sound like much, but so far we’ve managed to spend over £1,000 helping our friends in a number of ways:
Contributing to buying a new laptop when a friend lost theirs
Paying for an plane ticket when a friend was home sick
Supporting friends when their child was born months early
Helping a couple when one of them was struck by a car
Providing a missionary financial aid whilst they carrying out important work
Donating to a friend doing a run for charity
You might be able to do a support fund with £10 per month, maybe £100, maybe even £1,000 - whatever the amount, it’s great to have the money there ready for when someone you love needs help when they’re in a difficult situation.
🪢 Give Without Strings Attached
It’s important to note that if you are giving, it should be because you genuinely want to give, and not because you want or need something in return.
This isn’t the first time that I’ve shared this message.
Instead of adopting a “Give and take” mindset, we need to adopt a “Give and receive” one.
The difference is simple:
With “Give and take” there are strings attached - an expectation that you’ll receive something in return for giving
With “Give and receive” there’s no entitlement - no expectation that you’ll get anything in return, but open should there be anything to receive
🪫 Give When You Can
Something that is worth highlighting is that we should be good stewards of our resources.
Part of that is recognising when we are in position to give.
There will be seasons in your life when you are able to give less, or not even give at all - that is okay!
If my wife and I were to go through a disaster that wiped out our emergency fund, we’d not put ourselves into further debt if we have money sat in our Support Fund. That’d be foolish.
And giving is not limited to money! Can you give with your time? Your energy? Your compassion?
In these times, it’s all about getting creative with your giving!
I’ll leave you with this quote:
“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”
- Aesop
✍️ Journal Prompts
• Would you describe yourself as a giver?
• Do you think you have the capacity to have a support fund?
• Do you give and take or give and receive?
• How can you get creative with your giving in this season?
Consider journaling through the above questions yourself.
👍 Recommendations
I normally use this section to recommend additional resources or products that would compliment today’s newsletter issue.
Instead, I want to encourage you to sit and reflect on how you give. Please consider the Journal Prompts above.
And if you want to talk through your answers with someone, feel free to reply to this email! I would love to hear from you.
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😊 Thank You!
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Catch you in the next issue!
Thanks,
Michael
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