Wow.  A lot of friends and colleagues have gotten back to me with their own giving stories.  These ideas are so great, and so personal, that I think the best way to share them is in the authors’ own words:

When times are tough, it's a good idea to look for the silver lining. Despite continued dark economic news and the growing concerns for our planet’s safety, I think I see one. It lies in the choices we make and the differences we can make this year as one of our biggest gift-giving seasons comes knocking.

Rick Lewis is a friend and one of the most entertaining men in North America. Here is a very powerful and moving article he wrote in his newsletter. I think you will find it inspiring.

I was performing on an outdoor stage years ago at a comedy festival. Part of our payment came from passing the hat at the end and often we could do quite well on contributions since the crowds were often upwards of 500 people.

Some of my colleagues and I just produced two short and funny video clips.
 

Yes you can.

When I look at who gives the most in our society, one group stands out: moms.  I know my mom sacrificed a lot here raise five kids.  And in many she sacrificed too much.  So finding the balance is always key.  And it's not easy.

Obviously there are times when you are either a mother or father where there's absolutely no balance.  That is the natural order of things.

The trick is to find out how to take care of yourself whenever it is appropriate – that leads to taking better care of your children.

For my son Ian’s birthday, we first had a family birthday and then a friend birthday during the school day.  For his friend birthday, he got a few toys, but he also received nine books. 

When I came home from work I asked him what presents he received, he said “A lot of books.” 

“That’s great,” I said. 

His response, “I told Mom you’d say that.  I like books, but Dad, I’m only 9 years old.”

That said, he devoured Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2 that day.

Even in turbulent economic times, it's important for companies to keep their eye on the environment.  Not only is it a way to stand out as a leader, but it's also a great way to keep costs down. 

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given came from a friend just before my wedding.

The advice wasn’t that I should agree with everything my bride Marcia ever says (although I should, and I do, because she is wise).

Rather, the advice was to spend the entire evening together, holding hands as we visited people during dinner, greeted relatives in the receiving line and through all the other obligations that come with being the newlywed couple.

The brilliance of the simple tip was this: we shared the entire experience, the conversations, the laughs, the love.

What place does “giving” have as we see economies stumbling all over the globe?

When you see your investments declining by 10% in value over a few days how do you feel?  Do you want to hunker down and protect your investments and your family and neglect others?

If you feel that way, and if you feel frightened about what seems to be a global recession, that's a fairly normal reaction.  As a person of modest means, who hopes to retire someday, hopefully by the time I reach 85, I too feel nervous.

A couple of weeks ago, I was sent a link to a place called the Goodman Center. http://www.thegoodmancenter.com/  It's run by a man called Andy Goodman – who I don't know personally – but who wrote a wonderful book that I read a few years ago.

It is called Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes. Andy focuses his work on helping good causes (environmental and otherwise) reach more people more effectively.