Jim explains how to start giving when you're focused on yourself: honor your feelings, refill your own capacity first, then give in ways that fit you. He shares how he supported Pencils of Promise through advice and ambassadorship before donating money.
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So.
What advice would you give somebody right now who says, you know, Jim, I hear what you're saying, but I can't. You know, I'm just focused on myself right now. There's no way that I could be giving service to others. What would you say to somebody who might have that mindset right now?
Well, first I would tell that person to honor what they're feeling, because that's a very real feeling, and that is a basic instinct of humanity. But it's also an opportunity to take a moment as a flexion and understand that if you're missing something in your life, look at this as an opportunity.
Which is a way to fill up what might be missing. Right. So the same thing that you have.
To put your own mask on before you help somebody else.
You have to fill your cup before you can pull out of it.
There. There's so many ways that somebody can start giving. Somebody once said it really well, and I can't remember who this was, but it was poised as, you don't just need to give money if you want to give. Nonprofits and organizations and local communities, they will value your time, your talent, or. And. Or your treasure, because there's so many.
Ways that you can give.
For what it's worth, I didn't give $1 to that organization, to Pencils of Promise, until, you know, years ago, because they didn't want my money. They wanted my advice, they wanted my.
Guidance, they wanted my support. They wanted me as an ambassador of the brand. They wanted to know that they could call on me to help them solve.
Problems that they had where that was my specialty.
Now I'm a very proud supporter of that organization now with all three, my.
Time, my talent, and my treasure. And it lights me up to be able to see how much of a broader impact that can be made when.
You find ways that you can apply each of those or any of those.
And that would be my answer, is just finding what feels good and starting there.
And know that it doesn't have to take anything out of your pocket or your purse. All it has to take is your ability to want to try.
