How giving back is being selfish for all the right reasons

Giving is rewarding.

We are told to give and to expect nothing in return. However, I want to debunk this statement. We don’t expect anything in return however, we get lot’s in return. How can this be?

I am selfish and so are you, even if you don’t like to admit to it. We are selfish because for every action there is a reaction. Everything you do will have a consequence whether it is good or bad it depends on your actions and how the person responds to those actions.

You can read all the posts I wrote about giving HERE to get a better understanding behind the giving principles.

I write about giving because I feel giving is a natural process in which everyone benefits, I will get to that in a minute, as well I strongly believe that without giving there is no community, there is no higher purpose, there is only me not we.

Winston Churchill famously quoted “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

We love people that give, people that share. We love their generosity and their compassion.  People that give leave legacy’s behind. Maybe that’s why I love giving so much?

Think about all the famous people that are recorded in our history books: Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Nikola Tesla. Even the people that are alive today such as: Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Tony Robins, they all give not because they can but because “it is the right thing to do.”

Why is it the right thing to do? Because we are nothing without our communities. Build a business and who will you sell your stuff to? Yourself?

“When you do the right thing, the right things happen.” Gary Vaynerchuck

Just before I continue I want to briefly touch on Tesla and his contribution. Not everyone gives money, in fact the ones that we remember the most are the ones that change our lives directly and indirectly. Tesla designed the Wardenclyffe Tower that would transmit wireless electricity for free for the worlds industries.

However, J Pierpont Morgan was his financier and commented “If anyone can draw on the power, where do we put the meter?” So he withdrew his funds and the tower would never be completed.

The point here is Tesla’s intentions were to give. Give people a means to live better lives.

This inspired a Kickstarter campaign to build a Tesla museum in commemoration for Tesla’s contribution and his forgotten history. Unfortunately, it did not become successful only raising 45,000$ however, the Indiegogo campaign was very successful exceeding their initial goal raising over 1.3$ million with 33,000 people who believe in this cause.

Likeminded individuals coming together to give back to a cause greater than oneself.

Without losing your attention I will explain to you why giving is a selfish act through some personal examples.

A conversation with my friend who is a firefighter here in Vancouver B.C. will give you an insight on the point I am trying to make.

Come find the rest of the post by clicking on this sentence HERE