During the Season of Giving that just occurred, we were encouraged in overt and various ways to move closer to actualizing the biggest human development lesson of all, “it’s not about me.”
This lifelong lesson is a hard one for humans to consistently embrace, in part, because it is counter-intuitive.
In the moment, it can feel wonderful to experience pride, to complain, or to linger in a state of grievance.
But, if philanthropy teaches us anything, it teaches us that:
We are better when we give and worse when we take.
We are healthier when we are kind and weakened when we are callous.
We live longer when we share and we succumb more quickly when we are miserly.
The Season of Giving has just ended. But, hopefully, we remember to use the lessons it teaches us to inspire donors throughout the year.
