What all 3-Day walkers know & what I wish potential donors understood

My boss shared an article with my fellow employees and I recently. It's a copy of an opinion piece titled Use wealth to make a difference in another person's life by S. Truett Cathy, published in the July 15, 2011 edition of the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Here's the link to the article, though you have to be a paid subscriber to read the entire thing.  http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2011/07/15/use-wealth-to-make-a-difference-in.html In case you don't know who S. Truett Cathy is, he's the guy who founded this little eatery we in Atlanta like to call Chick-fil-a. (Home to funny cows, delicious chicken, and the seasonal miracle-in-a-cup called the Peach Milkshake. yum) He's also, in my opinion, a philanthropist of the highest order. He and his company and foundations give millions of dollars annually to charities and scholarships. I've heard his son, Dan, speak. In my opinion, they are a humble and decent family...they're good people. Anyway, it's a good piece, and it's not-so-subtly used to plug his new book Wealth: Is It Worth It. (here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Worth-S-Truett-Cathy/dp/1929619405/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311695171&sr=1-1 )

Here are the bits I highlighted:

"If I were allowed only one answer to the question "wealth, is it worth it?" it would be this: "Yes, if you give it generously." Don't wait until you can afford it to start giving. Start right now enjoying that wonderful feeling we have experienced when we share our resources."

"The lesson I took away from my conversation with Warren Buffett was another reminder to me that for wealth to be worth it, you have to give it away. Warren and I talked over the phone a good bit. During our conversation Warren said to me that "wealth is having enough. When you've got enough, you ought to start seeing that other people have enough."" 

Now Truett Cathy and Warren Buffett have a little bit more money than I do. And that's ok. We can't all be successful entrepreneurs. I'm quite happy with being a good mom and a 3-day walker, even though I have an empty-ish wallet. Because I believe what Truett says in the article is true, "Material wealth cannot buy honor or happiness, and a title based on the size of my assets is the last thing I desire."  And the take-away from Warren Buffett's comment is that wealth doesn't mean billions or even millions in the bank...it just means what's left over when you've got the bases covered. Under that definition, even I'm wealthy! 

So my plea is this: Please! People of all wealth, share your good fortune with others. You don't have to be rich to give. You just have to have something worth giving! Give your time, give your blood, give your clothes or give your money. Please. Just Give!

I'll leave you with one last quote from Mr. Cathy's article: "Wealth in the hands of people who are filled with the right virtues can make a powerful, positive difference in the world." 

So, my virtuous readers. What will your difference be?

Have a great day! Happy walking and blessings to you all!

Love- Julie