Giving Back Feels Great

One of the best parts of Lifestyle Investing is that it allows you time to give-back to your local community or wherever you happen to be in the world.

As we have discussed before the concept of Lifestyle Investing has 4 aspects:

• Income (we need finances to support ourselves)

• Time Control (flexibility to devote our time to our highest priorities)

• Longevity (to live a long, healthy and productive life)

• Giveback (to ensure that our life makes a positive impact on others and the planet)

I was just thinking this morning about how much of my time I have been able to devote recently to giving back and it feels great.  Here are some ways that I am finding to give back and maybe it will spark some ideas for you as well.

There are an unlimited number of ways to give back to your neighbors, your local community or the to world at large. Volunteering, even if it’s only 1 hour per week or even per month is a great way help others and meet new and interesting people at the same time.  Most retirement homes love it when people come to visit the residents.  The wisdom that comes with age is a treasure of incalculable value.  Spending even a few minutes per week with an person confined to a retirement home will make their entire day and you are guaranteed to learn something new from every engagement.

Having a spring or a fall cleaning can produce lots of items around the house which are no longer in use but may be of great value to others. Clean out the garage and your closets and donate as many items as you can. You’ll feel great having the additional space and knowing that someone else is getting use of something which would have only collected dust one more year in your attic.

Books are also a great thing to donate. I have many books which are near and dear to me and those I treasure and would not give away but each year I easily have dozens of books which I donate to the local library. It’s pretty cool so walk down the stacks at the local library and see some books that used to be on my shelf at home. They are not gone, I can check them out anytime I want and read them again but now so can anyone else.

Walk along a roadway somewhere in your neighborhood an pick up trash. My kids love doing this. Occassionally you will find something of value so they think it’s like a treasure hunt!

Coach a little-league sports team or help out with a dance club or another activity at a community center.   Big Brothers and Big Sisters, The Boys and Girls Club, the ideas here are limitless.  If you don’t have a club chapter in your area, chances are you need one.  Look into starting one part time such as only on Thursday afternoons from 4-6pm and see how many show up.  Even a few games of kick-ball can provide great exercise and memories for kids and it take nothing more than an open field or park and a $5 ball.

Building a balance lifestyle includes giving back in some way. Do something that helps others while simultaneously making you feel like you are making a meaningful contribution.

My advice to others is to budget this amount of time and prioritize it like any other necessary activity. If you plan to spend 45 minutes per day at the gym or working out then you should also plan to spend 1 hour per week or every-other Saturday morning giving back. When you plan it you will do it. When you do it you will enjoy it! When you enjoy something you will do it again!