The money is never quite enough, is it? There are times when I wished I had more so I could do more with it because the little I have at my disposal is always in the endless pursuit of something. It seems like current resources are incapable of solving personal needs so not trying to help others might be justifiable.

However, there are certain realizations we come across as we go through life. For me, the first fundamental realization is that money is a means to an end, and should never be the end itself. We are meant to make money for the satisfaction of our needs and to help others, not for the hopeless pursuit of vanities which we so ascribe to.

Means to An End

Our wealth is measured in the true sense by what we do with it, not how much we gather at a given point in time. We can have it all but not leave an impact with it, which is a problem in itself. It is a sad scenario to pursue money for money's sake, and measure our satisfaction by how much we are able to earn in our lifetime, not what we do with it.

Establishing that money is a means to an end is one thing, next is to utilize it in the most appropriate manner possible. We can either spend our resources on our needs or the needs of others, particularly those we care about. Both needs are endless, and it is difficult to accept one cannot be totally fulfilled before hoping into the next.

We tend to focus on our personal needs with the hope that they are completely satisfied sometimes, before we can reach out to those around us. Yet while it is a good idea to not neglect ourselves with the resources we're blessed with, we must also accept that the resources we have at our disposal at a given point in time shouldn't be for the sole satisfaction of our needs alone, no matter how weighty those needs are.

Who to Give?

We must always make room for others. The question of who to give is relevant for many reasons. We can't just be throwing money around because we want to prove we're good people. When it comes to giving, it must be to those people or causes we are genuinely concerned about. We can also randomly help others, but this is secondary to those in genuine need.

Obligations are a different form of giving. Taking care of your family for instance is an obligation and shouldn't be compromised. If meeting obligations take all your resources at a given point in time then that's okay.

Conclusion

Another thing to remember though is that we must not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. Being generous doesn't mean being stupid. There is no better feeling than utilizing resources in a way that meet the genuine needs of ourselves and others. Give and watch how fulfilling a giving lifestyle is.