Rhonda Byrne wrote of gratitude in her book “The Secret.” Byrne described gratitude as the fuel that propels your visualizations into your reality. The idea of gratitude is something that many people don’t think about regularly. If they did, they would feel more content with their lives and happy for what they have.
When one can empathize with others around them, he/she could begin to live graciously and look for opportunities to give back. We here the spoiled millionaire athletes speak of giving back more often than any other demographic. They know they’ve got it good. They get paid millions to play games. It’s easy for professional athletes to empathize with the struggles of others because they lived that life and one day and the next they were getting paid millions to participate on a pro team.
For regular people, the thin line between the haves and have-nots is much harder to recognize. Most of us are not rich. We can’t just buy everything we want. We would like a newer car or a bigger house. Why then, if we are still building our own lives, would we think that we are in the position to “give back” ourselves? Everyone had certain struggles in life. That’s just life. That’s also not an excuse to not give to others that are less fortunate than you.
I have gathered together a few of my favorite charities for you to review. This list can almost continue infinitely and I am not judging organizations that aren’t on the list as there are too many to list.
- Make-a-Wish Foundation
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Susan G. Komen for the Cure
- Livestrong
- Habitat for Humanity
- American Red Cross
- United Way
- Local Food Banks
I am sure if you thought about it you could find things in your live to be thankful for. If you have no money to give, perhaps you are thankful for your health and should donate your time instead of your money. There are also many selfish reasons to give back. As Byrne wrote in The Secret, living graciously is the fuel the propels your visualizations. Thus, you will get everything you want out of life by living thankfully. Another selfish reason to give is that it makes you feel good. There are also financial benefits to giving. If you itemize your tax returns, you can write off all your charitable contributions provided you gave to a IRS designated 501(c)(3) organization. Its also fun to give. Decide who and how much. This might be a fun exercise to do with your kids to teach them to be thankful and help others.
The bottom line is that many organizations need your help just to make ends meet and support their good work. Take some time and learn about them to ensure that at least 70% of their funds will go to programs and not to overhead. If you don’t have money, donate your time. Teach your kids to give from an early age. The time for you to give back is now.
