I recently read a book called “Conversations with Millionaires: What millionaires do to get rich that you never learned about in school!”. It was co-authored by a number of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country. These include Robert Allen, Jim Rohn, Jim McCann (1-800-Flowers), Wally “Famous” Amos, Mark Victor Hanson, and Michael Gerber (The E-Myth).
(You can get the book from Amazon.com by Clicking Here.)
While the book has dozens of tips on how to become wealthy, there is one topic that surfaced more than any other. And that topic was GIVING. Here are a few notable quotes from the book…
“It’s about what giving does for your spirituality. Do it for what it brings back to you in terms of self-esteem. Giving is a smart investment. It may bring returns to you immediately in ways you don’t even know. It can do amazing things for your character, your reputation, and your inner spirit. It’s all worth it!” – Jim Rohn
“The minute you tithe you open up the universe to you because it changes your attitude. But also because every cause has an effect. And it’s got another part to it: A total result that you can’t even start to know. The beautiful thing about the total result is that it compounds. It’s like you’re investing and you’re getting an equity with God and good and universe. What happens is the minute you do that, you know you are going to win!” – Mark Victor Hansen
“If you are a giver, if you believe in sharing and supporting other causes and other people, then it’s going to come back to you. It will come back to you tenfold. This principle is available for everyone. It’s a matter of tapping into it. It’s a matter of using it. If you apply the principle, it will work in your life.” – Wally “Famous” Amos
I also strongly believe in giving as an absolute success principle. Over the last few years, I have given to a number of causes. And during this time, I have received more financial prosperity than at any time in my life. I know that it’s not a coincidence. The universe rewards the givers, not the takers.
So in the spirit of the holiday season, I encourage you to give back to the less fortunate. And bless their lives, while simultaneously giving your finances the boost they need for a successful 2008.
In particular, I encourage you to sponsor a child through Save the Children, which is what I do. I currently sponsor 2 children and have found it to be a truly rewarding experience. It’s a wonderful feeling to know the name, see the face, and communicate (through letters) with the children I sponsor.
It’s also a good feeling to know that Save the Children is a highly reputable organization that puts its causes first and keeps its overhead to a bare minimum. According to published reports, Save the Children allocates 90% of your donations to program services, 4% to management and general expenses, and 6% to fundraising, ranking it near the top of all non-profit organizations when it comes to keeping overhead low.
I also donate to Save the Children because it works to empower the communities and bring about LASTING change in the lives of the children through education, health, and livelihood programs. I’m particularly impressed with their strong focus on education, which is what will ultimately bring these children and their families out of poverty.
To sponsor a child (or two), just go to www.savethechildren.org and click on Sponsor Now. Their site will take you through the steps to select and later communicate with your very own child. It’s only $28 per month, and it’s sure to give a child a head-start on life and help them to win the battle on poverty.
And sponsoring a child will give you an even greater benefit. As Wally Amos says, “If you believe in sharing and supporting other causes and other people, then it’s going to come back to you. It will come back to you tenfold.”
To encourage you to sponsor a child, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. I’ll “super charge” your sponsorship by donating $50 to Save the Children for each child you sponsor. With the large number of readers on this blog, this could get costly! But that’s OK. It couldn’t be for a better cause.
After you sponsor a child, just leave a comment on this blog with the name of your child and their location. On Christmas Day, I’ll check the comments, add up the number of children everyone sponsored, multiply that by $50, and donate it to Save the Children. Then I’ll leave a comment to let everyone know what the total was. Let’s show the world just how generous real estate investors are!
Go to www.savethechildren.org and click on Sponsor Now.
Happy holidays!
Doug Smith
President
myHouseDeals.com
P.S. Like any proud parent, I enjoy showing off my children. Below are pictures of 2 children that I currently sponsor:
