The Joy of Giving Selflessly

My mother has been working for the non-profit sector for a while now and I have often heard her talk about corporate donations to non-profits. At first these words were only some sort of jargon to me but with growing years and a more evolved understanding of how the nonprofits operate I began to understand the spirit behind these donations and the joy of giving selflessly.

A quote says, “The more you give of yourself, the more you find yourself.” We all know what joy is, it’s a feeling where we feel happy and are in a good state of mind. When we give someone something, it is a way of letting them know that you care about them. Giving can take many forms – from giving a friend your sandwich or helping a homeless person to more concrete ways in the form of corporate donations to non-profits. It is these small acts of kindness that give you and the recipient joy, which could change both your days. When we give someone something without any expectation, remorse or regret, it gives us a lot of joy knowing that we helped someone and made them feel happy. This feeling is the ‘The Joy of Giving Selflessly’.

Think about it, when you give someone something, does it not feel better than acquiring something for yourself? I am sure most of your grandparents constantly offer you sweets or some tea or coffee. This is because they feel joy in giving it you because they care about you. And when you eat or drink what they offer you, it gives them joy to see you enjoying what they gave you, and it too, gives you joy because you know that someone cares about you. Try it today, give something small to someone you care about, and you will experience that magic of giving selflessly.

Some other common examples are philanthropists supporting a cause or corporate donations to non-profits. The philanthropists or the corporates do so without an expectation of a return. They feel joy and satisfaction in knowing that what they did has changed someone’s life forever. The person whose life has changed, will have eternal gratitude for that philanthropist or corporate who came along and changed their life.

There are thousands of children around the world who suffer from congenital heart defects and whose parents don’t have the money to fund their treatment. The state of these families after realising that their child may not live is very scary and tragic. Sometimes giving to foundations who reach out to these families and help raise money to fund the child’s treatment is a great way of feeling joy, because you know that your act of giving just saved someone’s life. These foundations and NGOs work directly with the family of the child and the hospital where the child will be given treatment. They are in turn dependent on individual donations to them and on CSR support for heart defects. From what I understand over some dinner time discussions that CSR support for heart defects allow these NGOs to work more better in reaching many children who need their help.

These acts of kindness stay with you and the receiver forever and make both of you feel infinitely better and happier. So, next time you see someone in need of help, the smallest gesture or act of kindness towards them can change both of your days.