Riccardo Annandale via Unsplash

I’ve heard it said that we should give back because it “makes us feel good” or that “the kindness will be returned to you,” but I think there is much more to pouring our energy into those around us. According to “The Courage to be Disliked”, the feeling of contributing to others fuels an awareness of our self-worth. When we are keenly aware of our value, we grow in self-acceptance which then motivates us to share our gifts even more with those in our community. It becomes a beautiful positive feedback loop because when we share our gifts we feel like we’re contributing to others, which leads to an increase in self-worth, and then that again motivates us to share more of our gifts with others.

Practically speaking from my own experience, watching those I’ve mentored apply what I’ve taught is fulfilling. You feel like you’ve positively contributed in some small way to a world that desperately needs positive influences. Our gifts were given not just for our enjoyment and benefit (although it's a nice perk!). They were also given to bless those around us. Imagine a world where everyone shared their gifts with everyone around them! It would be a beautiful place to live.