5 Reasons Why Giving is Important

Selfies, social media, & dopamine - words that I never heard until I was an adult.????

I take selfies, share them with others, use social media to connect with others, and yes, I enjoy knowing others liked my post.?

I don’t necessarily think that any of these words are bad, but I do question how much technology affects our conscience.??Does it make me a little addicted to my phone???My screen time app sure thinks so sometimes.??Does it make me seem selfish or narcissistic???No, but what effect does it have on our conscience???I’m sure social scientists have investigated it.

Conscience can be described as our internal values or moral compass.??Individual conscience is primarily emotional.??We assign feelings of pleasure and pride to the right choices we make as individuals.???We also feel guilt and shame when we make wrong choices.??Individual conscience compels us to act to help relieve the suffering of others we see.??Whereas social conscience compels us to insist on moral action from society’s institutions to transform the societal structures that cause this suffering.??

Individual feelings motivate us to conform to social norms, which helps us to create a sense of collective conscience in our communities.??These collective choices help us to shape society, whether we realize it or not.??This is how we organize more broadly as individuals.

We see the world from our own perspective, but what we see and how we think it should be is not always the same.??There is a distance between our perspective and reality.??Social conscience is the bridge that allows us to make individual choices that shape our communities and make a difference according to our own values.?Values are what we believe in.??Understanding other's values, and finding common ground is how social movements begin.??

We all play a role in our communities to shape society.??Some individuals go a step further by giving their time and treasure.

What is it that causes them to give so much of themselves?

1.?????Giving Influences Us

Giving makes us feel good.??When we give It empowers us to bring change to causes that we care about.??We are happier when we give.??Living a fulfilled life is a life full of pleasure from making good choices.??This positive feedback influences us to continue giving.

2.?????Giving Strengthens Our Values

Social conscience is the inner compass guiding our collective actions to address moral dilemmas and crises in society based on our personal values.??The moral duty to enhance the lives of others is widely recognized, and giving to others reinforces this value, fortifying our personal principles.

3.?????Giving is Impactful

Testimonials of people whose lives are impacted by giving are abundant.??When we give, we are bringing about the mechanism of change.??Our time and our treasure given to others brings about restoration, empowerment, and liberation.??Liberate, restore, and empower.??Three impactful words.

4.?????Giving Raises Awareness?

Our giving reminds others of its importance.??When we give, even when we try to keep it out of the public’s eye, others notice, and it reinforces the importance of giving to others.??We are influencing others, especially our family, even if we are not intending to do so.??Our giving can have a lasting effect on our legacy even when it is a humble gift.??We don’t need a building with our name on it to create a legacy.

5.?????Giving Strengthens the Community

Our giving invests in others that we live with and around us.??In fact, we don’t even have to live around others to make an impact on their lives.??We can give to causes that are on the other side of the world and the impact is the same as if it was near us.??Giving causes us to make connections with others even if they are on the other side of the world.??When we see needs that are not met and act, our insight can make a positive difference in the lives of others.??Giving causes us to see others.??Giving immediately takes our eyes off ourselves and begins the process of developing empathy.??Giving is the catalyst for empathy.

I give myself to causes that I care about because it reminds me that life is not always about myself and if I can raise awareness of a cause that I care about, I can make a difference and live a life of fulfillment.??As John C. Maxwell says, “You have it within your power to make your life a great story, one guided by your unique purpose and leading to significance.”?