We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
--Winston Churchill
What would you give if you believed that the quality of your life is closely aligned with
the value you add to the lives of others around you? Are you just making a living or are
you shaping a life?
When we give to others with the intention of adding value, it leaves behind the stuff
(substance) that forms a quality life for ourselves (the giver). For example, a giver can
harness the power of joy associated with giving to live a life of positive emotions and
good health. In fact, research suggests that certain personal attributes—whether inborn
or shaped by positive life circumstances—help some people avoid or healthfully
manage diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and depression. (1)So, the
next time you have an opportunity to give, think about the quality of life you have the
potential to receive. Instead of focusing on what is leaving your life, consider what you
will gain.
The life you live can be positively impacted by what you give!
(1) Harvard Public Health: Winter 2011, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/happiness-stress-heart-disease/]