A lot of people find themselves asking, “When is the right time to donate?” The answer is simple: when all of your needs are taken care of first.
If that sounds selfish, allow us to explain why it’s not.
As a society, we’ve been conditioned to put others’ needs above our own. But when you sacrifice your personal necessities in the name of others, you’ll end up feeling stressed, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled.
Generosity is not supposed to make you feel that way. Giving to others is supposed to make you feel inspired, joyful, and exuberant. And the only way you’ll be able to experience those positive vibes is to give from a place of love rather than guilt.
If you’re not doing well financially, chances are you already feel bad about your situation. Don’t compound those feelings of guilt by giving away money that you don’t have.
And for the record, there’s nothing wrong with putting yourself first. In fact, in survival situations, it’s a necessity. Just think about how airlines encourage passengers to put their own oxygen masks on first before helping others.
Put another way, think about this quote from Eleanor Brownn:
“Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve others on an empty vessel.”
If giving is your passion even though it’s not financially feasible to do so now, then use your current misfortunate as motivation to earn more income. In other words, it’s time to set some goals. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How much money do I need to be making in order to cover my own basic expenses?
- How much money would I like to give to charity?
- What are some ways that I can increase my earnings?
- What is a realistic timeline that I can set for myself to accomplish my financial goals?
Remember: just because you cannot donate now doesn’t mean that you’ll never be able to. Your current predicament is not your permanent predicament. There’s always room change, grow, and donate in the future.