Are you giving more in value than what you take in payment?
I have been spending the last week listening my newest discovery: audio books on my iPhone. I had heard a lot of people talk about the book The Go-Giver, so I thought I would give it a whirl. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the idea of listening while I cleaned, and the concept of the book itself. I am so excited to put these practices to use; not only in my business, but in my life.
The first law is to “give more in value than what you take in payment” What does that mean for me? Is it about money? Is it about sacrifice? Is it about love? I think it is about a daily practice, a lifestyle. It is about walking into a situation and not thinking “what can I get out of this?”, but thinking “What can I put into this?” It is easy in a society like the one we live in today to get swept up in the “it’s-all-about-me” complex. Everything around us speaks into a self centered nature that has our brains thinking it is about us and not about others.
When I think about who exemplifies this selfless kind of mentality, I think about people like my grandparents. My grandparents are the most selfless, servant-hearted, honest people that I have ever met. They have worked hard and have developed a healthy foundation for their lives, but to them it wan’t about making money or fulfilling a void. My grandmother is an amazing example of someone who demonstrated a life of selflessness. She serves others around her daily, and teaches me that life is about serving, not being served. When someone does something for her, it is not out of a debt or an obligation, but out of honor. It is an honor to serve someone who gives more than they take, and expects nothing in return.
I feel like giving more in value than you take in payment has nothing to do with money. It has everything to do with service. When we act with a servant’s heart, there is a void that is filled. So often, we find ourselves “serving” others out of obligation or with the intent of a seeing a return on our investment. But when we become go-givers, we realize that serving others with actions of selflessness or words of encouragement will actually fulfill that payment that we desire; even more than if we were to receive something in return for our actions.
Give more in value. Do more with a servants heart. Make it a lifestyle, not an obligation. Make it about more than just what you receive in payment, more than you get back for giving. It will ultimately better you as a person and better those around you.