2024-01-05 13:00:00
How do I know if I am a philanthropist?
Of all the definitions that I have seen, the one I like the most is that of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Give until it hurts. I like the following example: you are served an order of 4 enchiladas and there is someone hungry near you. If you eat until you are full, you have one left over and you give it to them, it is not philanthropy. But if you share one before eating the rest, it is. That is, give from what you have, not from what you have left.
Philanthropy, which is done with the objective of achieving economic success, ceases to be so, since its definition is the selfless investment of resources to try to improve the community.
If you think you have received ample blessings in life and in gratitude, you want to help others, but you don’t know how, keep reading. If not, I suggest you skip the article.
How is philanthropy in Mexico?
According to a study by Charities Aid Foundation (2016) that compares the percentage of personal donations to the gross domestic product of different countries, Mexico occupies the last place of 24 countries analyzed. This philanthropy indicator is 48 and 12 times higher in the United States and India than in Mexico
The philanthropic culture in the country is in its infancy and the saddest thing is that there is a correlation between the wealth of the countries and the development of the philanthropic culture. With levels of 36.3% of poverty and 7.1% of extreme poverty, Mexico faces challenges considerable. Extreme poverty implies that they do not have three or more of the following criteria at a basic level: food, health, social security, housing, primary services or education.
There are good news. Since the pandemic, there is greater social awareness, causing donations to have increased worldwide. Even a study published in Giving USA shows us that philanthropy has grown considerably in younger population groups.
So, whose turn is it?
Today we can give our opinion or take action. You may think that you don’t have much financial resources or what you can support is not much, but believe me there are many ways: with your knowledge, time, effort, you can be part of a great change. Let’s not turn the other way, it’s our turn.
Personally, together with several friends, we started serfilantropo.org, where we pool resources to support different causes, that could be a good first step. In my experience in philanthropy, I have met wonderful people and foundations. With their talent and work they make each peso they receive become ten, in such a way that a heart operation for children without access to medical services that would cost 2 million, is achieved with 200 thousand. The same with foundations that provide professional education to very talented young people who otherwise would have had to work informally to survive.
And my success?
Being generous is a consequence of being grateful. By thanking you you tell your mind that you are fine and that thought generates a series of positive reactions in your mind such as the neurotransmitters oxytocin and serotonin. Therefore, you feel confident, connected to others and at peace with yourself. That makes you think clearly, lower stress, activate your immune system and generate new neural connections. All this will help you achieve what you want with greater probability.
If you want to be happier, live longer, be part of a more developed country, be more successful, become a philanthropist. If you leave it for a “better occasion”, you will most likely NEVER do it. Start now!
www.salexperts.comFacebook: @Salexperts, @ACAldrete.Linkedin: Alberto Cárdenas Aldrete
#Philanthropy #success