What Is the Power of Giving? How Giving Empowers People

Are you the kind of person who helps other people? Have you yet discovered the wonderful and powerful meaning behind truly giving? And actually, what is the power of giving?

 

As an organization dedicated to helping others, we felt that understanding the power of giving, and the reasons to give was at the core of what we’re all about.

 

So with that in mind, in this article, we’re bringing you the research, and the reasons why people just love giving. The benefits it brings, and the way it can empower you to live a meaningful life.

 

Let’s start with a quick summary answer, then we’ll dive into more detail...

 

The power of giving, when truly selfless and without ego, is derived from a pure urge to share, from the heart, and with care, to aid, and empower others. Be it random acts of kindness, or planned charitable projects. True giving is without benefit, recognition, material reward, or payment to one’s self.

 

That’s how we would define the act of giving. It’s not only empowering others, and aids in some way towards their happiness and well being, but can also empower you. It simply brings about a greater good for all.

 

The power of giving can manifest itself in a million different forms, and it’s not always about money. It ranges from a person helping an old lady to cross a busy street, or money to a homeless person, right through to a charitable foundation building wells in remote villages, or donating profits to good causes.

Types of giving

But almost all acts of giving and kindness fall loosely into two main categories, so let’s explore what those are a little further...

Random acts of kindness

Although most of the time, random acts of kindness tend to be the smaller acts we see or hear about, They can often be the most powerful, and some of the ones we tend to remember the most.

 

This is in part due to the purity of the act. Often there is no planning, there is insufficient time to weigh up the benefits to oneself, and in some cases, there is even often less regard given to the giver’s safety.

 

They are called “random”, mainly as they are unplanned, pure of heart, and sometimes inspirational.

 

These can include, helping someone with an immediate task, like carrying shopping for an elderly person. Or getting something for someone from the top shelf in the store. Picking up and returning something someone dropped or stopping to help someone change a tire.

 

And it doesn’t always have to be for another person, it could be for the greater good. Examples of this include picking up litter or turning lights off to save power.

 “Do a good deed every day... and if someone

finds out about it, then it doesn’t count”

Philanthropic activities

When we think of philanthropy we often think of large charitable organizations. Or we think of wealthy billionaires with foundations. But that isn’t always the case.

 

Philanthropy is relative, there is no fixed dollar amount to gain entry. It can be small but sustained targeted acts of kindness. Volunteering for a cause is one means of being philanthropic.

 

The difference between this and those smaller random acts is that the person giving most often has set out to give. They have planned it into their work or their lives. Often it’s borne out of their own experiences, and often is something they’ve yearned to do for some time.

 

Another defining feature of philanthropy that sets it apart from individual acts is how it is targeted.

 

Usually, the person giving does so not to a single individual, but to a collective, a community, a charity, or towards an ongoing cause they are passionate about or a desire to “give back” for the rewards they’ve accumulated in their own life.

 

The definition:

 

It’s important to understand what the world defines as philanthropy. Here, dictionary.com defines philanthropy as:

 

• altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by the endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.

• the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way:

• to devote one's later years to philanthropy.

• a particular act, form, or instance of this activity:

• The art museum was their favorite philanthropy.

• an organization devoted to helping needy persons or to other socially useful purposes.

 

This pretty much echoes our outline of what philanthropy is and is certainly where we are in terms of our desire to give. And the comparison between philanthropy and random acts of kindness.

 

So the next time you see either of these forms you can understand where the urge to help came from. One might say one is sudden inspiration, and the other is borne out of passion.

 

“altruistic concern for human

welfare and advancement”.

 

But how does this empower people? Let’s get into that next...

Benefits of giving

Well, there are ways that it empowers people, both on a health level and on a spiritual level. Let’s dive into those next. Here’s a list of how this helps, and some of these apply to both the giver and the receiver:

 

• Lower blood pressure: social support and interactions reduce blood pressure

• Increased self-esteem: heightens your level of self-worth and moral

• Lowers depression: provides perspective, and positively impacts introspection

• Lower stress levels: giving relieves stress and worry regarding other matters

• Greater happiness and satisfaction: Improves morale, mood, and meaning

• Improves life expectancy: Scientifically proven to improve mortality

 

That’s right, we just said it has the power to offer you a longer life? And research supports this. Here’s a little more on why that is and the research to back it up.

The power of giving helps you live longer

Studies have been carried out, regarding what benefits an individual who gives more vs those that don’t.

 

In one study, it was found that by giving, each participant increased their life expectancy levels based on physical changes in the body.

 

This is based on the fact that giving inevitably lowers a person’s stress levels, blood pressure, chances of depression, and many of the other factors listed above. This leads to overall improvements in their mood and overall well being.

 

Giving adds a level of meaning above and beyond one’s own self-image.

 

To a certain degree, this also has a compounding effect. The continuous act of giving maintains a better overall health level, thereby improving mortality in the individual.

 

So give more, and live longer!

Why do brothers4change give?

Of course, we’d love to live longer. But that’s not why we have set up brothers4change.

 

And this isn’t to say we don’t partake in random acts of kindness either. That’s something that almost everyone does, or has the potential to do.

 

We give because it is our philanthropic choice and we as brothers, both have a passion for wanting to give something to the wider world. We want to empower people, and in return feel the power of giving.

And finally...

On that note, anything you purchase from brothers4change empowers you to have an impact too, on a philanthropic level.

 

We use 10% of all our profits to make education a cause where we feel we can make an impact and where much help is needed more accessible. So we urge you to open an account at brothers4change, where you can electronics and gadgets made out of thoughtful materials. And where every purchase means you too can make a difference.