Want More? Then Give More

The more credit you give away, the more will come back to you. 

The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. 

Brian Tracy

Have you ever met anyone who wanted less - Less wealth, poorer health, fewer friends, or a reduced status? Everyone wants more satisfaction, more of the good things in life, more wealth and more enjoyment. We want the feeling of knowing, "I am moving ahead. I have more this year than last year."

There are two basic approaches to getting more: Act selfishly or behave generously. The selfish individual's thought patterns are dominated exclusively by themselves, their welfare, their benefits, their pleasures. "What is in it for me?" controls their every thought and action. They think the less I give, the more I will have for myself.

Meanwhile the generous individual thinks differently. Their concern is directed primarily at helping others benefit, grow, enjoy life, and overcome obstacles. "How can I help and satisfy others?" influences everything they do. Sure they, too, want more. But the generous individual's actions center on the principle that the more they give of themselves to others, the more they will receive in return.

Just one day spent in the real world will convince you that the selfish dominate in numbers and influence. One need only look back over the last 5 years or so at some corporate headlines. Companies dominated by the selfish, with no regard to their employees, their investors, or their shareholders. I do not need to repeat their names. Those selfish individuals, as it will turn out, received surprisingly little; considering what they now face. More of the good things in life gravitate to the generous!

Decide which group you belong to, and then to which group you wish to belong. Are you one who always says to yourself "What's in it for me?" Is that the group to which you really wish to belong?