I like the way Winston Churchill so succinctly stated: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” A bonus is that happiness is a byproduct of a generous life. In other words, when giving one can expect a “helper’s high” thanks to the endorphins that are generated.
Actually, according to US researchers, money may not buy you love but it might buy you happiness if you spend it in the right way. They concluded that the old adage “it’s better to give than to receive” is relevant when giving: spending money on others or giving to charity puts a bigger smile on your face than buying things for yourself. This is an example of what I referred to above as “helper’s high”.
The fact that this saying- “it’s better to give than receive”, comes from the book of Acts reminds me our “actions speak louder than words.” In turn, I believe a person’s actions reflect their true “care- act-er”…
Recently, I found myself on the receiving end: however, in the process I was also a giver. Following Ollie’s evening walk, I decided to put the trash out before doing the indoor evening “chores” where I was pet sitting. I opened the garage door & as I was rolling the trash out to the street the door went down leaving me locked out. Ooops!!! After our walk, I had taken off my jacket that had my phone & house key in it. Of course the neighbor with the spare key was gone. Thus, I tried the neighbor on the other side. Fortunately, Spencer answered the door & stepped out to see how he could assist me. We experienced one glitch after another. Finally, via Spencer’s phone we got through to the owners who were in a remote spot with poor phone reception. Ed coached us on where to find the spare key- he’d hidden it so well that his wife didn’t even know where to find it. As I was expressing my gratitude to Spencer for being so tenacious, he shared with me that part of the reason he “hung in there” with me was because I was so positive throughout the ordeal. Turns out he’s experiencing some challenges & through me he realized, no matter what transpires it’s important for him to stay positive. WOE!!! What an Opportunity for Enlightenment…
I’d like to convert this experience into a challenge for all of us: may we be real “care“-“act“-ers…caring enough for others to freely share our talents & resources with them…