Give more than 67 minutes

Being 'charitable' and extending a helping hand to people shouldn’t just be something we do on Mandela Day for 67 minutes. It should be a lifestyle. Every interaction with someone is an opportunity to give a compliment, a word of encouragement, physical help, financial gifts and the list goes on.?

We have all seen the value of goodwill and helping those in need. Due to the economic state of our country as a result of the pandemic, there has been an upswing in generosity and charitable deeds because South Africans have been living hand-to-mouth.

Is it naturally within people to want to do good and 'give back'?

We are all hardwired to give. It is naturally within us. Some people are more altruistic in nature, so they do it without being asked to but many need to be motivated in order to give. The reward of giving is the joy you have afterward. Giving does wonders for our overall well-being. From your psychological to your mental and physical well-being, it reduces stress and we feel approval from others.

Should we give because of how it makes us feel or because it's the right thing to do?

Giving can become self-indulgent if we solely do it for the way that it makes us feel and look to others. Some would argue that giving should be a selfless act and not solely for validation. If you're sharing your acts of charity on social media, what is your intention? The goal is for your giving to come from a place of unconditional kindness and from the heart.

The truth is that when you do something for someone else, whether it be saying a kind word or giving a donation, you feel good and it hits your dopamine levels. It's called a 'helpers high'.

How can we start giving if we haven't yet?

Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by the extent of poverty, unemployment, disasters, trauma, and devastation around us but it's actually these crises that bring communities together to help each other. Whether it's done on an individual basis or on a mass basis, it's natural instinct to want to experience that joy and glow of helping others. If you've been on the receiving end of an act of kindness and generosity, you feel the need to pay it forward.

If you want to do something, a good place to start is to write down the things you're passionate about and want to invest in. Even if money is tight, you can research ways to give of your time and yourself to help others.

There's no greater gift than giving up one's time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return

- Nelson Mandela

Despite being in a terrible economic state as a country, we need to tap into a new level of compassion and community. It has been wonderful to see how communities have come together in the last few days to collectively help each other in the aftermath of the civil unrest in the spirit of Ubuntu. It's not just a marketing gimmick being used by a brand on tv. It's real and we're starting to truly understand what the word means in these difficult times.

How to build philanthropy into the way you live

1. Teach your children about charity, what it really mean to be charitable and provide opportunities for them to give to others.
2. Have more conversations about how giving to different causes aligns with your values and the emotion connecting to giving.
3. Research the longitudinal health benefits of giving like how it reduces stress.
4. Make a choice to give in every transaction; whether it be with a compliment, a kind gesture, a smile or a donation to a charitable cause,
5. Give openly and unconditionally.

The bottom line is you feel better when you give, so go and give something today.

Watch my whole Expresso Show interview on this subject: