All the wisest people who ever lived tell their followers that they should dedicate their lives to service. Doing things for others, and doing it willingly, means that you’ve reached the pinnacle of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
But getting to that point can be challenging. Time, money, and resources seem so limited from our human perspective that we are loath to give them to anyone else.
Unfortunately, this attitude doesn’t get us very far in the long run. While there might be short-term financial gain, the spiritual losses are tremendous.
If you want to become more giving as a person, here’s what you need to do:
Increase The Efficiency Of Your Giving
Giving is often challenging because it’s not good value. Take jewelry for a spouse, for instance. You want to make them feel special, but then you see the prices of rings and necklaces in the store and your heart sinks.
The trick here is to find a better way of getting your partner what they want. Take simulant diamonds vs. lab created diamonds. These are both common alternatives to regular diamonds, and they tend to be significantly cheaper. Interestingly, though, lab-created diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, so nobody will ever know (unless they have specialist examining equipment).
Start Volunteering
If you find giving up your money hard, you can always replace it with your time. Volunteering is an excellent way to see the need around you and motivate yourself to take action. Plus, when you volunteer, you form relationships with new people and expand your social circle.
Ask Yourself What You Want Your Legacy To Be
Your life won’t last forever. Eventually, it’ll come to an end. And when that happens, you want people to remember you for your contributions and the good things that you did.
This can be a powerful motivator for people to become more giving. If you keep everything for yourself during life, you miss out on the opportunity to enrich others.
Be Grateful For What You Have
Many people cling on to their possessions because they live in a constant state of fear. They always worry that they don’t have enough, so they never give anything away.
This approach to life, though, is often based on the false idea that you can create security. In reality, you can’t. The world will always have its way.
The trick here is to be grateful for what you already have. If you see that you have enough, giving becomes much easier.
Divert One Expense
Another idea is to take the money that you are already spending on yourself and divert it to a worthwhile cause. For instance, instead of spending $100 a month on coffee, you could send it to a charity instead.
Give To Something That You Are Passionate About
Lastly, you might want to try giving to something that you feel passionate about. If you feel good about the target of all your hard-earned money, you are much more likely to follow through and actually donate.