Two weeks ago I was on a boat in the bay of Krabi, Thailand. My mom and I had purchased a half day boating/snorkelling trip around the nearby islands. The weather was humid and balmy at 30 degrees.
From the time we boarded our long tail boat to our last dip in the phosphorescent filled water, one man’s character stood out above the rest. From beginning to end, his generous heart shone brightly.
His name was Dawoon and he loved giving of his time and energy.
The heart of a generous giver
He was the boat helper. He didn’t have to give generously to others, but he did. That type of giving can take a lot of energy when you’re dealing with a lot of people.
One of the reasons he stood out is that he made everyone on the boat feel special. At first I thought he was paying extra special attention to our needs, but I soon noticed he was giving the same care and attention to others onboard. He helped us up and down the ladder, showed us the best place to swim, made sure we were comfortable, communicated details about where we were that made our experience over the top enjoyable.
Giving is always worth it
Another thing I noticed is how his giving naturally came back to him. I could sense that taking the time for others was making him happy. It was also making him feel connected to everyone he made time for. I’m sure it would increase the profitability of the company he works for as I for one will be booking again!
Have you ever had someone take so much time with you that it made you feel special? Did they do such a good job of listening to you, training you or paying attention to the details that you still think about the experience?
That experience literally kept me up at night thinking of the message his actions spoke of.
Myths That Hold People Back From Giving
Have you ever wanted to give like that?
I’ve noticed that many of us believe we don’t have the time to invest in others lives. Maybe you’re so busy and fulfilled with your work that you feel you don’t have the time to train others to help you, so you never get the help you need. Maybe you’re so busy you don’t take time for long conversations with friends or even your spouse anymore so you feel disconnected and sad. Maybe you’re so busy you don’t know how to play with your kids or grandkids because your brain is too focused on unfinished work.
Sometimes we can believe that investing our time and energy won’t make a difference, it won’t be worth it. If you give of your time, maybe you won’t have enough for yourself. This is a deep seated belief rooted in the belief that, “there’s not enough to go around so I must look out for me first.”
“If I give, others will expect me to keep on giving that way and that makes me feel too pressured.
“I’m teaching others that they don’t have to do their own work and that they can rely on me in an unhealthy way to support them.”
Not true.
Through Dawoon’s life you can see that real giving results in happiness and a deeper connection between you and others. I’ve found that giving often results in higher sales because people love to work with others who make them feel incredible and truly care about them. Giving will always naturally result in you experiencing benefits but it shouldn’t be why you give.
Your Turn
Where are you feeling drawn to give more of your time, money, expertise or energy? Do you want to be intentional about family time with your kids/grandkids? Do you want to get involved with an organization that’s near and dear to your heart? Do you want to make the time for deeper conversations with your spouse? What great happiness and health could you create by doing so? Think of the possibilities and share them with me below!