A great philosopher once said, whatever you want more of, give it away. The best way to ensure an ongoing flow of abundance into your life is to share with others the wealth you receive. I am a big believer in tithing -- giving away 10% of your income to your church and favorite charities. I believe that it does indeed come back multiplied. This has been demonstrated in my life and the lives of Chicken Soup for the Soul readers over and over again.
My co-author Mark Victor Hansen and I have been tithing for years and believe it is one of the major factors of our phenomenal success. Along with Peter Vegso, our publisher at Health Communications, Mark and I have given away millions of dollars to over 70 charities and non-profit organizations. We have also distributed almost 175,000 copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul and Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul to inmates in all of America's prisons.
If you have never tried tithing, give it a three-month trial and see what happens. Remember that, when you are giving, like attracts like. The more you give, the more will come back to you. If need be, start with one percent of your income, time, energy or effort and build up to ten percent.
Tithe Your Time, as Well as Your Money
You can tithe your time, as well as your money. If you are uncomfortable tithing ten percent of your income, try tithing ten percent of your time. You can make a huge difference in so many areas of your community by giving of your time. There are numerous schools, churches, and other non-profits that are all clamoring for help.
When you volunteer, you will get back a whole lot more than you give. Research on volunteerism shows that people who volunteer live longer, have stronger immune systems, have fewer heart attacks, recover faster, have high self-esteem and have a deeper sense of meaning and purpose than those who don't volunteer.
The greatest levels of contentment and self-satisfaction are experienced by those who have found a way to serve others. In addition to the true inner joy that is created by giving and serving others, it is a universal principle that you cannot give without it coming back multiplied to yourself.
This article was written by Jack Canfield, founder and CEO, Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises. He and Mark Victor Hansen are coauthors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, currently with 32 different titles in print, and worldwide sales of over 80 million