The Power Of Giving

We must remember that everything we enjoy now has come from the efforts of those before us. Even electricity and cars have come about from the efforts of men over a hundred years ago. Often times, people want instant results for what they do. This is not bad in and of itself, however, we must also remember the impact we are having on the future, and that future will be lived by our children, and the children of our children.

At the ripe old age of eighty years, Joe was a happy go get em kind of guy. He had worked hard his entire life to provide for his family in every way he possibly could and had enjoyed his retirement years by tending to his garden and the twenty two acres of land he owned. One day while planting apple trees on a couple acres of the land he owned, one of his neighbors came by and asked him if what he was doing.

"Planting apple trees," Joe replied.

"By surely you realize that it takes 8 to 10 years for those trees to bear fruit. You will most likely never live to taste those apples, so whats the point?" The neighbor asked.

"Well," Joe said, "I have may not ever taste a single apple from any of the trees I plant, however, if old men of the past had thought the same thing, I may never have had the pleasure of tasting the sweet necture of apples in the past. I only wish to give the same in return for people in the future."

The moral of the story, build those things you want to create in the world for the beauty of the fact that it will help others live happier more fulfilling lives. Even if that means you never truly get to experience the fruits of your labor. Surely Henry Ford wasn't worried about what the auto industry would become after he died. Of course he had a vision, but he built what his vision was any way regardless of what would happen to the auto industry in the future.

Be willing to put yourself on the line and build something magnificent. What you build may take years to build, but may be destroyed in a day. However, we all have a gift to give to the world, and we need to be willing to put ourselves out there at the risk of losing everything to share that gift with the world. Those who are givers are recievers, and we must always give first to get. More importantly, we must do our part by giving something to the world that leaves more in people and for people than it takes. What is twenty dollars for a book that completely changes ones life. What is ten dollars for a meal that keeps us alive. What is a small price for something that makes our lives so much more incredible and amazing.