By Justin Gray (Songwriter/Producer/Founder www.wearemdiio.com)
Personally, I’ve always felt a little more comfortable being on the "giving" end rather than the "getting" end. What I’m saying is that I have found exponential amounts of joy in creating opportunities for others, and seeing others flourish from my involvement.
Leave people and things better than you found them.
I love giving compliments, I am loath to receiving them. I love seeing people around me thrive, while I myself am embarrassed by any "success" that I may have. I can acknowledge that downplaying my wins is probably a little too self-deprecating.
I do have an ego. But my ego gets completely inflated when I get to see somebody else benefit from my involvement in any way possible.
I have not only become obsessed with "giving," I have also become addicted to the feeling I get from every positive action that I put into the universe.
Call me selfish
Here are five ways that you can bilk the beyond beautiful benefits of benevolence…
Karma - They have said that the key to karma is to maintain a good balance. If Karma was a bank account, we’d all agree, we would prefer to make deposits rather than withdrawals. Doing whatever you can to elevate somebody else is the ultimate way to actually serve yourself. That opportunity that you give to somebody else will always be that good karma deposit you need in order to maintain a positive balance. Giving to somebody is not about $$$. Sometimes it is, but the real measure of "giving" is how you can affect somebody else’s life positively for zero money. The long-term effects of opportunity will outlast money every single time. Give someone a fish, teach someone to fish...you know. ROI - How do you get a 10x return on your investment? Invest good energy. Good energy begets great energy. Positivity begets even more positivity. Entering into every session thinking of yourself first Is the wrong way to approach your song. How can I be of service to this person whether I’ve known them for 20 years or 20 minutes? Determining your contributions to the session will have an unbelievably positive personal impact down the line. Good Vibes - There’s plenty of food for everybody to eat from the same table. A candle does not lose its fire by sharing its fire in order to light another candle. Finding ways to spread good vibes will always come back to you tenfold. Great collaboration is about making others that surround you even stronger. Empower someone today, and one day they will do the same for someone else. That positive energy flow is circular. It will come back to you, and by the time it does, it's 10 times more powerful than when you started it. A songwriter friend of mine used to always say "Stay in the positive energy of the universe." I thought he was a weirdo. Now I know he was 100% right. Happiness and Contentment - Happiness and contentment are not somebody else’s responsibility. You are responsible for your own energy. It took me way too many years to realize that the best way to secure my own happiness and contentment was to find ways to serve others in their search for the very same thing. Happiness is infinite and contentment is the key to it all. But don’t conflate being "satisfied" with being "content." Being "content" is WAY better. Making others happy made me happy. Feels good to be selfish. Be The Change - Change does not have to come in dramatic and obvious ways. The smallest change can often create the biggest and most profound impact. The idea of just adjusting by 1% a day can allow you to have a complete "about face" in 100 days. Being the change and projecting that outwardly has the exact effect as you intend it to. If you walk into a room with bad energy, I promise you that bad energy will overtake the room. If you approach everything in life with a positive outlook, that positivity will project accordingly. The Coda: Do one thing today for somebody else for no reason whatsoever. Expect nothing in return except your own selfish interests of feeling good. I promise you, as you find the willingness and hunger to be of service to others, you will begin to completely transform yourself from the inside. Being kind to others is the best way to learn how to be kind to yourself. See you next week, and keep writing those hits. Justin@mdiio.com