The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth – Chapter 15 – The Law of Contribution

The measure of success is not the number of people who serve you, but the number of people you serve!

Growing Yourself Enables You to Grow Others

This last chapter is about ‘growing it forward’.

All throughout my career in hospitality, I found great joy in training and teaching people everything that I knew. I was not afraid that one day they could replace me. On the contrary, if they replaced me, then I was not learning and growing myself. Teaching my teams everything I knew also made my job easier.

Think of yourself as a river and not a reservoir.

Below are some questions that encourage us to become or best:

Who mentors you and offers a baseline of wisdom?

Who mentors you to aspire to be a better person?

Who challenges you to think?

Who cheers on your dreams?

Who cares enough to rebuke you?

Who is merciful when you have failed?

Who shares the load in pressurized moments with you?

Who brings fun and laughter into your life?

Who gives you perspective when you become dispirited?

Who loves you unconditionally?

Giving your time, expertise, and resources without expecting anything in return is an unselfish act that makes the world a better place.

Below are some suggestions that can cultivate an attitude of contribution:

Be Grateful – Practicing gratefulness daily will make you a better person. Before you go to bed, find at least three things you are grateful for today. It could be as easy as “I am grateful that I have a bed to sleep in”.

Put People First – I have quit friendships and left my job because I did not agree with how people were treated. Treating others well not only benefits people, but it also helps us navigate life better and puts us in a place where we can learn from each other. Once people are satisfied that your motives are right and that you will put them ahead of your own selfish interests, then they are willing to become partners with you in the journey.

Don’t Let Stuff Own You – Richard Foster writes “Owning things is an obsession in our culture. If we own it, we feel it will give us more pleasure. The idea of an illusion.” If you want to be in charge of your heart, don’t let possessions take charge of you.

Don’t Let People Own You – Don’t work for people that ‘keep score’ and think that you owe them. They should be proud that the people are moving on and are using what they learned from you to make the world a better place.

Define Success as Sowing, Not Reaping – This one is pretty much self-explanatory, given the prior ones. If you are only sowing for quick returns in life, then you will usually be unhappy with the outcome and unable to keep giving and living while waiting. On the other hand, if you sow continually and abundantly, you can be sure that in due season there will be a harvest.

Focus on Self-Development, Not Self-Fulfillment – Self-fulfillment means doing what you enjoy most and will receive the most strokes for doing, while self-development means doing what you are talented and uniquely fit to do, and that becomes your responsibility.

Keep Growing to Keep Giving – Whenever people stop actively learning and growing, the clock has started ticking down to a time they will no longer have anything left to give.

If you want to make your life burn brightly for others and future generations, keep growing.