I did something today I don’t do very often. I said ‘no’ to a children’s charity.
Someone I knew was seeking donations for an auction that will raise funds to support “Arizona’s children.”
Requests like this are reasonable, and I usually help out if I can.
But I didn’t.
Does that make me bad?
Evil?
Am I sipping my cold brew right now with my pinky finger up thinking about all those kids out there that I hosed out of an opportunity?
No. And well, hell no.
I remember Oprah telling the story about how she always gave to everything and every one because she “had it”. Her first REAL ‘no’ was when Stevie Wonder asked her to help a charity. From then on Oprah got clear on what she supported and what she did not support.
I was marginally good at this but after reading Lynne Twist’s book The Soul of Money, I got super clear on this too. Lynne wrote:
“No matter how much or how little money you have flowing through your life, when you direct that flow with soulful purpose, you feel wealthy. You feel vibrant and alive when you use your money in a way that represents you, not just as a response to the market economy, but also as an expression of who you are.”
Clarity is everything.
In your life, in your business, in your giving.
Adam Street