Living With Giving

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

-Maya Angelou

*photos of giving in action: Rotarians at work; and my inspiration, David Ives, who has devoted his life to making the world a better place.

I’ve been through many phases in life. Through each, I’ve looked to give back to the world however I can. That said, until recently, I’ve never looked at giving back as a requirement nor have I seen it as something that takes a proper place at the table I’ve set in terms of my goals or aspirations.

I’ve been a part of some great organizations whose missions spoke to me. There was the microeconomic development in communities across Africa that FXB International modeled, funded, and operated. I was personally responsible for “adopting” two villages and sat on the board of directors for several years. Prior to that, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, with a lot of help from friends and colleagues, I produced an event called “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans”, a concert featuring Wyclef Jean, Susan Sarandon, Joss Stone and many others that raised over $350,000 and hundreds of instruments for street musicians in one night. Later, I got involved with Make It Right, an organization that donated homes to those who’d lost their homes in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. Separately, I donated school backpacks and helped to raise funds for swimming lessons to people in Pass Christian, Mississippi post-Katrina, too. The cause of death for the majority of the community from the hurricane was drowning, because they couldn’t swim, which I just couldn’t get over.

There have been other projects and initiatives I’ve spearheaded over the years, each of which incredibly gratifying, but there was no thread running through the work. I would get passionate about an issue, dive in, then move on to the next.

Ironically, I’ve always felt a little guilty when I prioritized giving back over my work and my business (family has remained my number one priority, but as kids grow up, they need you a lot less!). It wasn’t long before I shifted my primary focus back to work. That’s my reality, and it still is. I even feel a pull to “stick to real estate” as I write this right now (alas, I’m not doing that).

Even though the majority of my time remains devoted to my business, my perspective on giving back has changed. It’s now a part of my daily routine, through Rotary, which I joined about three years ago. In my role as a Rotarian and as the current president of our club, I oversee the implementation of many projects, locally and globally, that aim to fulfill Rotary’s vision: Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

To me, the most important word in Rotary’s mission statement is “together”. The difference we can make together is exponentially greater than what we can each do on our own, and it’s the greatest feeling in the world to work with like-minded folks, simply doing good in the world. It’s more fun than you can imagine, and it works! Long story short, I’ve learned that even though giving back feels selfish (there’s always something else I’m not doing, that I should be doing when I’m working on Rotary stuff), but I’m learning to live with being a selfish giver.

I’ve come to embrace giving back as an essential part of my life. I’ve relented. I’m living with giving. Somehow, I’m still getting more done in my life and I’m doing more business than at most other times in my life! How that’s happened, I can’t yet tell you. What I can tell you is that, in this crazy world, which sometimes seems consumed by destructive energy, I highly recommend that you also learn to live with giving. Just as Maya Angelou said it would, giving has liberated my soul. It’s also a lot better than aimlessly fretting, complaining, becoming a cynic, or shrinking in despair. There are thousands of people who will likely see this article. Imagine if EVERYONE started giving back to the world, in any small way they can, every day?! How many people will benefit, not only the “givees” but the givers?