In Order To Receive, You Must Give

February 13, 2008 · Filed Under · 7 Comments 

begenerous.jpgI want to be able to teach my 3 young kids to be well rounded individuals. I want them to treat others how they would like to be treated. I want them to be generous, to be humble, and to be thoughtful. One of my favorite books is Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I never read the book all the way through, I tend to pick it up from time to time and read a chapter that interests me. I find myself doing this when the mood strikes, often when I am looking for a little inspiration. I am always looking for little nuggets of wisdom that I can pass down to my kids. But it is ironic how when you least expect it, you say something truly memorable to your child and they actually get it. It always happens when you don’t force it.

It happened the other day in the car and it gave me goosebumps. My 6 year old son was whining about why he could not have some toy (I can’t even remember what it was). Tired of his whining and without thought or hesitation I quoted Rich Dad, Poor Dad, “If you want something, you first need to give.” Silence. I let that thought just hang in the air for at least 15 seconds. I could see in his eye through the rear view mirror that his mind was working overtime trying to understand the concept. This led to a great conversation about giving, whether it be toys you don’t play with to a shelter, or time spent teaching your sister how to ride a bike, and how these things will bring you much more in return than you could ever imagine. I then explained that by being generous, people are going to want to be generous to you. By taking time to help someone, others are going to want to take the time to help you when you are in need. As a father, it was a great moment. I know this post is kinda off topic from my normal banter but I just had to write it down and maybe inspire you to teach the same things to your children if you don’t already.

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Comments

7 Responses to “In Order To Receive, You Must Give”

  1. David on February 13th, 2008 5:00 pm

    I love posts like this, and great message for everyone! More people should think like this, it would make the world a better place.

  2. LJ on February 14th, 2008 6:17 am

    Teaching our kids to be charitable and generous is very important to us too, we like to have our kids understand that there are always people out there worse off than us.

    Great post and good for you! You should be one proud Daddy!

    Take Care

    LJ

  3. Scott S. on February 14th, 2008 2:03 pm

    Great job! I just wish every parent on this earth could read your post! That was a great opportunity to show your child how giving to less fortunate children can reap many rewards, the most of whitch being the good fealing you get from changing someones life, even in a small way for the better.
    Your a good man!

  4. Jennifer on February 14th, 2008 6:03 pm

    Great point, and oh so true!

    I believe we have to send things out to the universe to get back more than we have room to receive it. Every major financial advice book I’ve read talks about the importance of giving in order to have prosperity. I think that being able to let go shows our trust that there is plenty and that we really have plenty.

    What a lovely lesson you’ve taught your son.

  5. Silverstar on February 20th, 2008 5:53 am

    That is such a great lesson! Not just for kids but for people in general, who tend to only look out for “number 1″. Good show! :)

  6. JHS on February 24th, 2008 3:28 pm

    Thank you for sharing this post with the readers of this week’s Carnival of Family Life! This week the Spring is Just Around the Corner Edition is hosted at home at Colloquium! Hope you will drop by and read some of the many other wonderful entries received this week!

  7. PlanningQueen on February 25th, 2008 4:15 am

    Like this post. It is easy to forget that children don’t know these nuances, as parents we must teach them these things.

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