Back in British Columbia, I was in the habit of having a cup of coffee every morning at a convenience store before going for a swim, using that time to plan my day before the pool opened at 6 a.m. I was then the chair of the Focus Humanitarian Agency in British Columbia, whose mandate was to help disadvantaged children in the developing world. It cost $15 a month to send a child to school in the developing world.
I realized that if I did not have a cup of coffee every morning at the convenience store, I could send two children to school in the developing world. I decided to do just that—trade the coffee for the “child support” by sending the coffee money to the children. Two days later, while driving my car toward the gas station that housed the convenience store, I noticed a sign: if you bought 25 liters of gas, you got a free cup of coffee. I used to drive my car so often that I got my coffee back while still supporting the needy children’s education!
I find that each time I do some good, things get smoother for me. I cannot logically explain why and how. It could be psychological: when you feel good you are more energetic.
One fine morning I took my mum to her doctor, even though I had a huge amount of work on my plate. Once I had done that, there was a sense of peace and calm inside me. Next thing, I zoomed through some very important work with ease. When you do good, whatever the good may be, you invite some goodness back. Some people cannot understand this concept fully. All I can say is try to give unconditionally and experience it yourself.
You may not always be fortunate enough to see a return on your giving so clearly and quickly, but the paradox is that, when you give, somewhere you set the wheels in motion for good to spread and come back to you.