I got the honor of speaking to a great group of folks here in Adelaide that put on a bike ride benefiting a couple of great charities here. Like many events it started out small, grew, and now is a major fun fundraising effort annually. And that got me thinking about one of my favorite subjects:
Moving from success to significance.
I first read about this in a book that maintained men spend the first 40 years of their lives trying to be as successful as possible, then spend the rest of their lives trying to be significant. While that may or may not be completely accurate, what I did take exception to was the idea that these are mutually exclusive values. If they are, then that’s our fault for how we’re raising, teaching, and mentoring.
Philanthropy can be defined as “the effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations,” but I don’t think it starts or stops there. Being philanthropic infers you’ve become successful enough to be able to donate, but there’s also a mental shift that you’ve thought about life and understand that giving back is the right thing to do. It’s significant.
We all have time, talent, and treasure – it’s what we do with it that determines our significance. So think about that, and also how you’re grooming those around you to not just be the best they can be, but to make a difference too. I’ll bet you’ll be glad you did – ciao for now – Cb…
5 comments:
Well put.
Well said my friend.
When work is your only option for making the ends meet, then you very well cannot afford to getsick. Single parents and getting illnesses just do not work together in order to keep food on the table consistently. Getting sick as a single dads (fathers) is just downright unavoidable. Once,you know this then the only option that you have is to plan ahead in order to be able to handle it. For help and advice visit:
single Dads
I agree with Dan that there are times in our lives when the pressure to simply survive & put food on the table presses down on your with a sort of desperation. Granted, the job at hand is not always the work I desire, but shifting my thoughts/feelings to a different approach can make all the difference in the world for both myself, and my child. Every moment, I have a new chance to look at the task-at-hand, & make a conscious decision to approach it with my best effort, applying honor, care, & honesty, anticipating the needs of others without them having to ask first. This in itself has had a profound affect on my entire life, radiating out to those around me. I believe what Chris is saying is that "grooming those around you starts with grooming yourself". Sometimes simply "paying attention" and applying an open heart to everything you do is all that is required. So simple, but so easy to forget.
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