Giving and Getting

The other day I read an article in a national newspaper about the idea of giving and getting, and it got me thinking. The author of the article was responding to a question about whether giving to a charity was part of the questioner’s business success. The author suggested that the reason the business owner was so successful was that he was “giving” extra value to his customers and to his employees, and that this was the reason for his success. The author gave an example of making referrals to a company that had done remodeling work several years before because the company had not only done an excellent job, but had also left the area cleaner than before. This was contrasted with another company which had left pieces of debris scattered around after the job was finished. The author’s point was that the first company, because it had given more value for its service, had earned the right to have referrals to future customers. Obviously the second company had not. Now I am not going to argue this point at all – after all, who wouldn’t prefer to recommend a quality company that goes beyond the letter of its contract? What I am arguing with is the idea that this is the only reason for the success of the original questioner, and that his giving to charity was not a factor.

If you read much of the success literature out there, particularly the books that I read, you will find the idea of reciprocity. In other words, we get what we give. This is in line with the idea of the Law of Attraction, which as you know has become a huge topic thanks to the book The Secret. I suggest that the reason the businessman here is so successful is because of the Law of Attraction – he has made it a part of his life to give to others, and so the world has seen fit to give back to him. I have no doubt that this man gives more than is expected to his clients, and probably to his employees as well. But I believe that it is his dedication to giving to others he doesn’t know through charity that provides the biggest boost to his life, personally, professionally, and possibly spiritually. Think of it this way – if we all give to others, isn’t it logical that we will end up being the “others” that someone else is giving to? Wouldn’t that be a nice way for the world to work?

Believe in Yourself