Give More as You Gain More
Building a flywheel of success for life and career
One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. — Proverbs 11:24
We often assume that prosperity leads to freedom, but sometimes, it leads to walls—literal and emotional. As we earn more, we tend to move upward in housing, privacy, and lifestyle. Yet with each upgrade, something quietly slips away: proximity, shared laughter, spontaneous connection. Wealth can isolate us, unless we choose to open our hands—and our hearts.
When I was growing up, gathering with others didn’t need planning—it just happened. We played in open grounds, dropped by neighbors’ homes without a second thought, and walked together to church or temple. But as the years passed and income grew, I began to notice a shift—not just in me, but in the very design of our lives. Apartments turned into townhouses, then into gated villas. The more we earned, the higher the walls went. Now, meetings need appointments, kids connect through screens, and worship is no longer a shared walk—it’s a quiet drive in separate cars, each family enclosed in its own world.
But generosity has a way of breaking that pattern. From my very first job, earning just ₹1500, I chose to give. Over time, that habit deepened. During COVID, I raised my giving to 18% of my income—not because I had to, but because it felt right. And it wasn’t just money. I gave time—building websites for charities, volunteering alongside my family, gifting books or small surprises when meeting friends. That kind of giving didn’t leave me with less—it built something more: a life rich with joy, connection, and unexpected blessings.
I’ve seen this modeled by others too—like my father, who has stayed in touch with friends across decades, or my friend Venkat, who faithfully calls everyone on his contact list every few months, never expecting anything in return. They remind me: generosity isn’t transactional. It’s relational. And when you live that way, doors open—not always through the people you helped, but often through divine appointments you could never have planned.
True prosperity isn’t in what you keep, but in how wide you open your life.
Action Items:
- Reflect on areas where you’ve unintentionally isolated yourself as your wealth or status has grown. Journal ways to reverse that.
- Reconnect with three people this week—call, visit, or gift something simple to rekindle connection.
- Choose one charity, cause, or friend-led initiative to support financially or with your skills—start small, but start now.