Law of Reciprocity

Ever notice how the wealthiest people tend to be the most generous? If you look at a list of top philanthropists you see names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. You could make the argument that they can afford to be generous. I would suggest that if you knew them before they accumulated their wealth, they were already generous people. I am convinced that this fact had a lot to do with why they became wealthy in the first place. It comes down to the law of reciprocity—what you give away comes back to you with dividends.

In the case of Bill Gates, his greatest inspiration was his mother, Mary, who was very philanthropic. She did volunteer work at schools, community organizations, and even served on the board of the United Way.

For Buffet, early in life, he was inspired by a man named Abraham Flexner. In a Fortune Magazine article Buffet made the following statement, “Flexner devoted his life to improving education. He influenced philanthropy as much as any individual in the country. Flexner condemned higher education for relying on large lectures as opposed to small classes with hands on teaching. With the help of Andrew Carnegie, Flexner helped set national standards for physician training.” There’s little doubt that countless lives have been saved as a result of his efforts.

Clearly there are tremendous benefits borne though helping others. Think about the satisfaction you get when you receive gratitude from the people you help. There is something very rewarding in knowing that you have helped to improve the life of someone else. The key to the law of reciprocity is to give without expectations.

I want you to think about people you know that hoard everything for themselves. These people come from a mindset of lack rather than abundance. Very few of these people ever create abundance in their lives because they are working against the law of reciprocity.

For homework pick a dollar amount that you feel comfortable giving away each day. Make it a point to keep that increment of funds with you at all times. When you feel the urge, give. It can be a huge tip for great service at a restaurant, a few dollars for someone that is short on a check out line, or just a random act of kindness that may not even involve money. Just remember give with no expectations. You will be amazed at what will unfold in your life.