“Taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of others. The healthier the tree, the better the fruit it can offer.”

“Taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of others. The healthier the tree, the better the fruit it can offer.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Josh Hild

In his book, Give and Take, Adam Grant demonstrates that the Givers of the world are usually more successful and happier than Takers and Matchers.

He makes a critical distinction between the Selfless Giver and what he calls the Other-ish Giver.

His research proves that although very admirable, the Selfless Giver – who sacrifices themselves for others – comes up short on both success and life satisfaction.

It turns out that putting ones own mask on before assisting others is critical to supporting those we most wish to serve in our personal and professional communities.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life can and will you commit to taking far better care of yourself so that others you support can more abundantly share the sweet result of your generosity?

You can’t pour from an empty cup

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”

—Author Unknown

Image of hands holding a coffee cup

Image from Unsplash by Sabri Tuzcu

In his book, Give and Take, author Adam Grant points out that in many situations, the givers of the world are more successful and fulfilled.

There is, however, a particular exception to his observation. He makes a clear distinction between two types of givers, which he calls “Selfless,” and “Otherish.”

A critical difference between the two is that Selfless givers give to the point of being an empty cup, while Otherish givers put on their own oxygen mask before assisting others.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life are you running on or near empty?

What Otherish strategies can you use to retain some reserves for yourself, so that you can continue your generous and contributory efforts?