During these crazy times, we have been hearing stories of panic and selfishness as well as stories of heroics and selflessness. I applaud every single person who in the face of fear and uncertainty has chosen to give and serve and be generous!
Today I want to revisit a short article I wrote several years ago about generosity and how it relates to success and happiness:
“Here’s conventional wisdom: Success makes you happy. Happiness permits you to be generous. In fact, it actually works like this: Generosity makes you happy. Happy people are more likely to be successful.” – Seth Godin
I believe there is truth in both statements. Success, happiness, and generosity all go hand in hand—but not necessarily in a set order. From my personal experience, I would say that success can definitely lead to generosity. And I know that both success and generosity bring happiness. But does generosity ultimately lead to success?
Yes, it does. Maybe not 100% of the time in 100% of situations, but I believe that generosity does indeed lead to success. It all depends on your definition of success.
People who are truly generous—with their time, their money, their attention, their resources, their patience, their responses—these are the people who build a tribe. These are the people who are appreciated, respected, and admired. These are the people who create close friendships and attract ardent supporters. These are the people who receive support because they’ve given it. These are the people who are genuinely happy, because they’ve made others happy.
And I believe that is a wonderful definition of success.
