“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” - Arthur Ashe
We live in a world so politically correct that we have lost the ability to be honest for fear of public scrutiny, litigation or being chastised for our beliefs. The idea that corporate social responsibility is just to help the community is TOTAL B.S. Giving Back – making an impact – is awesome for the recipient, yes, but it is ALSO awesome for the giver.
There is nothing wrong with feeling good about helping others, yet we often aren’t willing to admit this out of fear that others may perceives us as boastful. At eQ we take 3-4 days a year to refresh our soul, rejuvenate our spirits and fill our lives with the joy of giving back, and we CELEBRATE IT.
Check out this video of our Summer 2014 Impact Day to see the work that our team did for a local Baltimore organization called Civic Works.
By the way, there is no better way to start your organization’s next strategy session or vision, values and behaviors initiative then spending some time giving back – it clears your head mentally, emotionally and physically. And studies show this is a BIG DEAL – people who give back, on average, live longer and have lower incidents of heart disease. Ultimately, doing good helps you to FEEL GOOD, too. For more information on this research (in case giving back in itself is not enough!) click here to read the data: Why Volunteering is Good for Your Health.
Keep on challenging yourself to be more, do more and give more every day!
Joe Mechlinski is CEO and Co-Founder of entreQuest, where he's helped hundreds of companies prosper through some of the worst economic times in history. Joe's debut book, Grow Regardless, an instant New York Times bestseller, defines strategic growth, change management, and organizational development.
