Rise-to-give

Rise to Give

Today I want to suggest that when we rise to give to others, we are at our best and our most happy.  When we use our talents and give our time to help others rise, we feel like a million bucks.  Giving is a robust understanding of enjoying life.  It may require that you rise when you least feel like it when you already have a lot on your plate, but you rise and do something extra for others.

One comment from a young man was all it took to confirm why I speak to youth groups.  I have talked to many youth groups over the years about various topics that add value to their lives.  But one day at Mitchell High School, I had been talking to classes all day, one after another, and was on my last course for the day.  I was introduced and began my talk, and shortly after I got started, the one young man, whom I didn’t think was even engaged, raised his hand.

I called on him, and he said, “I think it is great that you’re taking your time to come and talk with us today.”  This compliment was an affirmation of the work that I did to prepare and speak to these groups.

One comment boosted me throughout the day.  True happiness and true fulfillment come from us giving our best to others using our talents.  Your talents may be in the form of baking something, drawing something, working for a group, speaking to a group, or just showing up and making yourself available.  Whatever your talent is, when you step up believing that you have something to offer and delivering on it, you will find that it multiplies back to you.  It is the simple story of sowing and reaping.

I want to encourage you today to find someone, somewhere, some group that you can go to and extend a hand, like a photo above (Photo by Everton Vila on Unsplash).  All of us on the planet have a plan to open ourselves to others and add value to them.  Discover what that plan is, how it looks for you, and how you can touch others.  When we give our time, talents, and resources, we bless others and inadvertently bless ourselves.

But do it for the right reasons, to add value to others, you’ll be glad you did.

An effective way to teach this to our kids is to find community service opportunities for them.  I write about that here, What Kids Need: Service to Others – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

Forbes write about Service to Others here, ‘It’s Always About Service To Others’: Leadership Lessons From A Soldier CEO (forbes.com)

Yours for a Better Life,

Rich