Enough

At what point in your life is it time to start giving financially?

Is it a certain income? 

Is it once you meet xyz financial goals?

Is it a certain standard of living?

Is it a certain level of stability or security?

I’m going to share a few stories, all related to the same topic:

I recently met with a 40-something couple that makes an annual household income of $380,000. They have a heart to give, but they don’t feel ready yet. According to them, they might be ready to start giving once the husband receives his next promotion. Until then, there’s just not enough margin. 

I recently met with a 20-something couple that has $50,000 in consumer debt. They have a heart to give, but don’t feel ready yet. According to them, they might be ready to start giving once they are debt-free. Until then, it doesn’t feel like the "responsible" thing to do.

I recently met with a couple who have two teenagers at home. They have a heart to give, but don’t feel ready yet. According to them, they might be ready to start giving once the kids are done with college. Until then, they need to save those resources.

I recently met with a 30-something couple who run tremendously successful businesses. They have a heart to give, but don’t feel ready yet. According to them, they will start giving once they feel more secure. Until then, they need to hoard more assets to create a better sense of security.

I recently met with a widowed single mom who has a limited income. Resources are tight, but giving is at the center of her family’s life. According to her, “As long as my kids are fed, I have enough.”

One is not like the other. I’m playing the role of Captain Obvious here, but the widowed single mom has the lowest standard of living of the bunch……and it’s not even close. In fact, several of the other families make more in a month than this woman makes in a year. The disparity is stark. Here’s a less intuitive observation. This widowed single mom with a low income lives her life with more freedom and joy than each of the other families. Why? One key word: “Enough.” Contentment. Humility. If her kids have enough food to eat, she has enough. And once we have enough, we have something to give. 

Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have enough food to eat? If the answer to these two questions is “Yes,” you have something to give. No qualifiers, no “buts,” no justifications. Yes, your something will be different than someone else’s something, but something is still something.

Here’s a reality, though. There’s always a reason not to give today, and tomorrow, there will be another reason not to give. There’s always a reason not to give, and if we’re not careful, we’ll qualify, “but,” and justify our way out of generosity until the day we die. YOU have something to give. Not someday. Not after you attain a certain income, meet certain goals, achieve a certain standard of living, attain a certain level of stability or security, or reach a certain age. Today. Now. Always. 

This is the true path to freedom and joy. It feels ironic, but it's the best irony of them all.

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