The Awesome Power of Giving
Giving no matter how small feels good, makes you stronger and makes the world better.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn in November of 2021. I’m reposting it here as part of moving my writing to my own platform…
What is important to you? How often do you spend time thinking about the answer to that question? If you’re reading this, you’re probably human, and that means you value some things more than others. I thought I knew what was important, then 2020 whooped our collective asses, and the onslaught of shit from COVID, to George Floyd, to the collapsing environment, and treachery of January 6th forced me to reevaluate what I really think is important.
OK smart guy, what’s important?
Well, snarky voice in my head, I’m going to give you a snarky response… Everything is important. Now, before you start talking smack, let me finish… Is COVID killing thousands of people every day? Can we survive without a viable ecosphere to live in? Is our country gripped by socio-economic and political divisions that threaten to tear us apart? Honestly, everything is so damn important, I’m exhausted from being overwhelmed all the time.
My brain is wired for solving problems and I can’t actually solve any of these problems. Sure, I have plenty of “If I were king of the world” ideas but those aren’t real solutions and not being able to solve these truly existential problems is eating me up all the time.
Easy there, Rob… That’s not healthy!
True dat Snarky… but I can’t just sit on my ass and watch, so I decided to try giving. It’s hardly a revolutionary idea, I know, but it took a huge evolution in my own thinking to make this conceptual leap. Growing up, my family didn’t get involved in “causes”. It wasn’t because my parents didn’t care about stuff, but I think the military life we lived meant we were never in one place long enough to think about them. Also, we didn’t have a lot of money, so the idea of “philanthropy” was never a thing. So, it took me a while to get to the point where I could say out loud in a sentence… “I’m going to start giving my time and/or money to try and do something good.”
Phase 1 - Giving Time
There’s really only two things we can choose to give… Time and money. Time is the simplest, but it’s no less important than money. At a personal level, time is extremely finite. We each only have so much time in a day and in our lives. How we decide to spend it tells the Universe what we think is truly important.
My giving journey started with a conversation about social issues here in the town where I live. That led to me appearing on a couple of local panels talking with panelists and our audience about what it’s like to be a person of color in a shockingly white place like Bend, Oregon. That led to an opportunity to join a 9 month community leadership development program and also becoming a board member of the Deschutes Land Trust.
Leadership Bend is a program built from the ground up to help people learn how this community works. This kind of program gave me first hand knowledge of exactly what challenges we’re facing, and direct contact with the people working to help solve them. I’ve always been interested in local issues, but it wasn’t until I moved to a very small city that I began to think that I could actually “get involved” in a meaningful way.
The Deschutes Land Trust works to conserve and care for the land and waters that sustain Central Oregon. Some incredible quirks of American history have spared this region from the ravages of urbanization. But the Deschutes basin is now squarely in the crosshairs of development and the Trust is working to protect critical habitats and waterways that we need to keep this place livable for plants, animals, and humans. Being part of the board gives me a chance to work with other amazing people and support this cause directly.
Phase 2 - Giving Money
I’m late to the party when it comes to donating my money. Until recently in life, I never really had much. Now, in my 55th year, I don’t have a lot, but I’ve got “enough” for the idea to take root that I can afford to start giving financially. Working with the Trust has taught me first hand that every dollar counts for non-profits of every size, and the money I donate is spent wisely on work that makes a difference for my community.
Tuesday, November 30th is “Giving Tuesday”. I didn’t really know this was a thing until I started to get off the sofa and get involved. But it’s an amazing counterpoint to the brutal commercialism of “Black Friday” and it gives you a chance to do more with your money. Apologies to my friends in the advertising industry... Things do not make us more complete. Saving 10% on a new iPhone won’t fill the void in your soul, but helping ANY non-profit working towards a good cause might be a good start.
Shameless Plug Alert!!!
This Tuesday I hope you’ll donate to the Deschutes Land Trust. This Facebook Fundraiser link makes it easy. BUT, if the Trust is not your cup of tea PLEASE find a cause that IS your cup of tea and DONATE.
Let us know in the comments who you’re supporting with your time and/or money.
