I have always found it hard to convince people that giving is better than receiving. But now I have a new approach of doing it. I tell people that suppose you were a professional boxer in a ring with your opponent, would you choose to give or receive? They overwhelmingly choose to give. In such a situation, at least I have not found anyone preferring to receive. The truth is that giving is much more honorable than receiving. In Acts 20:3 we often hear the phrase that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”.
Money may not buy you love but it might buy you happiness if you spend it in the right way. Spending money on others or giving to charity puts a bigger smile on your face than buying things for yourself. Most people would think that if you make more money you are going to be a lot happier. It only makes you a little bit happier, but doesn’t really have a huge impact on you. Real impact comes when you share part of your money with others.
Research by social psychologist Liz Dunn and her colleagues showed that people’s sense of happiness is greater when they spend relatively more on others than on themselves. In one survey of over 600 U.S. citizens, Dunn and colleagues found that spending money on others predicted greater happiness whereas spending money on oneself did not, and this pattern was found across all income levels. In other words, even those with little money reported greater happiness when their proportion of spending on others, relative to the self, was greater.
Did you know that giving cultivates self- worth? You may be giving for a selfish reason and you will feel good about yourself. Even so, the effects of your kindness on others are purely positive and you can both bask in the joy that giving brings to those you have helped.
In my opinion there is nothing wrong with feeling proud of your generosity and using that to spur you on to further acts of kindness in the future. It is actually a good way to start believing in your self. If you have ever been in a bar and see drunkards buying rounds of beers for their friends you will realize that the giver and the receivers are equally happy with the giver being showered with praises.
Just in case you didn’t know, giving is easy and there is so much that you can give. Are we together ladies? You can give your time, you can give your warmth and friendship, you can give a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on, and, of course, you can give materially.
In short, people’s selfish assumptions have always been proven wrong when they actually had the opportunity to give to others than to one self. This goes to the generous people reading this piece; allow me to officially tell you that I’m ready to receive anything from you ranging from money, material gifts and many other things. Drop them at the Sunrise offices and you will be the happiest people on earth.
