Are you a giver or a taker?

Do you focus on what you can get versus what you can give?

Even during your own hardship, are you willing to give to others?

Take a few minutes to think about the person you are, if your happiness is connected to what you can get rather than what you can give, and what needs to happen in order to make a positive shift to a more giving attitude. Be honest with yourself. There is no judgement here.

This quote by Ben Carson represents the true essence of happiness because it is not what we can get that brings happiness, but rather what we are able to give that provides the happiness we seek. Like the old saying goes, “It’s better to give than to receive.”

Several weeks ago, I attended a commemorative dinner in honor of the volunteers and donators that invest their time and money to a local soup kitchen in my area. During that dinner, there were powerful stories told about many of the guests that come to the soup kitchen looking for food and shelter.

One story, in particular, left quite a long lasting impression on me.

There was a man who started coming to the soup kitchen after already being homeless for a number of years. Prior to this, he had a beautiful wife and lived a happy life.

However, a terrible accident took his wife from him and he was not able to recover from that tragic event. His life just spiraled out of control from there and he ended up losing everything he had, forcing him to live on the streets.

He did not even have shoes.

Every evening he would come in to the soup kitchen looking for supplies, blankets, whatever the soup kitchen could provide. The volunteer workers kindly provided what they could.

One night he came in again, looking for more supplies. The volunteer workers started to wonder what was going on and questioned what he was doing with everything they had been supplying him. He said that he was giving what he had to all of the other people that were living on the streets that needed it more than him.

Here was a man who already had nothing, nowhere to live, not even a pair of shoes on his feet, and yet he was still giving away everything he had to those less fortunate.

His happiness came, not from focusing on what he was able to get but rather from what he was able to give, even while dealing with his own hardship.

So, ask yourself now…

Where does your happiness derive from?

Now it’s your turn.

How does this quote inspire you?

Tell me about an experience where you were looking to obtain a level of happiness from receiving instead of giving. What was the end-result? Did you achieve that happiness and how long did it last? Alternatively, was it short-lived? Have you been able to shift to a more giving focus?

Contact me or share your thoughts below in the Comments section.

Let’s get the discussion going.

Remember, you are not alone on this journey. Together we can become stronger individuals.

Educate. Engage. Evolve.