How to reward yourself by giving time and money to others
The act of helping others made us
involved in class collecting can food and soups for the unfortunate families in
Jordan. I want to honor my students’
giving behavior, their generosity and helping spirit!
From fancy cars and expensive
clothes to fine dining and exotic vacations, there are many ways you can spend
your hard-earned dollars. And there is nothing wrong with rewarding yourself
for a job well done -- but what would happen if you rewarded someone else
instead?
A recent study by Harvard Business
School faculty and graduate students titled “Feeling Good about Giving: The
Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior," explores the
ways in which charitable behavior can lead to benefits for the giver. While the
concept that giving to others can make you feel good about yourself is not
revolutionary, there are several more subtle ways that giving your money or
time for a cause can benefit your psychological, spiritual and emotional
well-being.
Here are five reasons to donate to
charity based on the research of the Harvard Business School as well as other
experts and websites.
Giving
to charity may improve your sense of well-being
The act of helping others can create
an improved sense of well-being. Knowing that you sacrificed something such as
time, finances or property in order to help others in need can give you a sense
of purpose in life or work and inner satisfaction.
Supporting
a cause can help keep you informed about issues of social injustice
When considering donating to a
charity, many people tend to research the issues connected to that
organization. As a result, you become more educated about social injustices
around the world. You may discover new points of view and opinions on topics
about which you were previously uniformed. This knowledge may position you to
help increase the awareness of social problems among those in your sphere of
influence from a balanced and educated standpoint.
Giving
to charity out of spiritual conviction can strengthen your spiritual life
Selfless giving is a key component
to many spiritual and religious belief systems. Recognizing that you have taken
action in line with your spiritual beliefs by offering your resources to others
in need can bring a sense of inner peace and contentment.
Volunteering
with a charity may result in physical and social benefits
After donating financially to a
charity or non-profit organization, you may feel an inner pull to become more
involved with the cause by donating your time and skill as well. By
volunteering, you have the opportunity to build your social circles while
reaping the physical, mental and spiritual benefits from the labor you
contribute to your favorite cause.
Donations
are tax deductible
When you donate to a charitable
organization or a non-profit group, the amount you donate is tax deductible.
But not only is the money you give tax deductible, so are the amounts you spend
on travel, parking costs and even convention and event fees that are related to
the non-profit group, as long as you are not being reimbursed by the charity
for these expenses. By E.C. LaMeaux
