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There is something about these times that is bringing out the best in us. I am seeing it more in places where I would not have imagine them occurring in such abundance. I am talking about this growing sense of giving and service among the business community. I am not talking about monetary donations, because I know that has been down.  However, many individuals are engaged in valiant efforts to reverse this trend. I am talking about the giving of one’s self and one’s time.

I belong to a business networking group who has made it part of our practice to provide community service. This means manning soup kitchens on a Saturday or helping paint a house in a blighted area or cleaning up a neighborhood.

It is not about making money. It is about building community. Building community ultimately is good business.

Those of us fortunate enough to be employed realize how tenuous that can be and with a lot of the community still in dire straits, our investment in time to assist in lifting it up is as powerful as monetary impact.

Also in an age of social media, the idea of building community is now a real force in both our social and business environment.  Service to others is simply not a spiritual endeavor; it is a component of human interaction that builds trust and loyalty. It brings out the best in us.  This bonding translates to the old models of a village or a tribe. We rely on each other, we assist each other and we prosper together.

There is also the personal benefit.  When one gives of oneself, there is a personal and deep satisfaction that one feels that enhances our emotional and mental state. It brings out and enlivens that human part that I like to call our soul.

Service builds a person who is positive and that translates into every aspect of life-including business.

A good business strategy is to give of one’s time to your community.  To really live life, you need to give of yourself.