Last Updated on Mar 6, 2020 by James W
While the pros and cons of providing charity to others have been battled for hundreds of years, science has recently discovered there is an innate need for people to help other people. Although it is a new field of study, the discovery that your body has a DNA code wired into it that wants you to give can explain why there are so many people and companies that actively donate time and money to others. Mahatma Gandhi once said that if you want to find yourself, the best way is in doing service to others. For many, Gandhi’s sentiment is at the center of their purpose in life, but for others, it is a weekend activity – yet they both need to give.
The Connection
Companies often offer their employees the chance to participate in a community service that has nothing to do with the company goals, yet the workers are eager to participate. It is all about human connection. Whether it is emotional, mental, or physical support, when you help another individual, you are sharing a part of yourself with another person, and in return, you are receiving a sense of accomplishment that alters your body chemically – in a positive way. No matter why you contribute to the welfare of another, or what the cause is, if you believe strongly in what you are doing, you are connecting with others, and you both will benefit from that connection.
The Creation
Many leaders have written books about the need for humans to create, and not surprisingly, one of the best ways anyone can create is by actively giving to another individual. When you give to others, you are generating hope, giving smiles, and adding meaning to those lives in a way no one else can. With the help of his California based company, the Neill Sullivan Oakland business created sponsorships to Youth Diabetes and Sports Health Camps. Using the needs of children to establish a platform to give back benefits the child, the family, and the community at large.
The Purpose
Some of the biggest and most expansive charities in the world were created when a business person saw a need and found his or her purpose. By taking something you love and giving it back to your neighborhood, community, or state, you are building on what drives you. As you recognize your purpose, you can also find why that purpose is important to others – and that is what gets many people out of bed in the morning.
The Ripple
As you give, create, or contribute something for the benefit of others, you will begin to see a ripple effect. Neill Sullivan’s company began planting trees on many of the properties his business purchased. As the areas began to go green, the atmosphere of the neighborhoods changed as well. However, you don’t have to give thousands or millions of dollars to make a difference in the life of another individual. Your positive actions can encourage your friends to help you clean a roadside, feed the homeless at a shelter, or shovel snow for your elderly neighbors. It may seem as if your contribution is small but multiply it by millions of people doing the same thing each year, and you can see how your actions can have a gigantic ripple effect.
Yes, the need to give to others and contribute to the welfare of your community is coded into your DNA, but that is not the only reason you give. It does make you feel good inside, and it does help others, but most importantly, with every person you give your time to, you are changing the world in a positive way.
