Activate Your Wiring with SANFAN

Mar 12, 2021

Ever think about what makes you tick?

No, not what makes you “ticked” -- that’s too easy.

For me, it’s when my kids leave the lights on in their bedrooms. I guess that means I have officially become a dad (in case having 4 kids doesn’t automatically qualify me).

Seriously, though. 

Do you ever think about what you were created to do? 

Who you’re really meant to be?

Good news. I learned something this week that I think I can help. Let's start with these two claims:

  1. You are wired for generosity.
  2. You can activate this wiring and live a rich, meaningful life.

Or you can choose to ignore this wiring and choose a life of materialism. And according to a recent article “This is your brain on generosity”, you’ll experience more stress, disease, and shame. 

Ouch. Hang with me here, not trying to be harsh. None of us want that, which is hopefully obvious.

But if we look at our spending habits, our calendar events,...

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Local Small Business Takes #GivingTuesday to a New Level

Dec 01, 2020
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, even though it might have been weird, small, and quiet.

If your Thanksgiving was difficult, you're not alone. My hope is that you found some moments to be grateful for.

Last month's post was a great reminder that no matter how difficult things are,
 
gratitude is the first step towards a more generous life.

Just this month, I saw a real-life example of this that I wanted to share with you. 
 

In case you're not familiar with what we do around here, it's this:

  • We find real life stories of generosity, from the everyday to the extravagant.
  • To inspire others to live a life a greater generosity.
  • Because the generous life is the abundant life.

So here's the story:

A local small business, FONA International, had a record year despite being in a pandemic. 

And what they did with their $7.1 million surplus is astounding. Frankly, it's upside-down from...

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2020 Might Be The Year To Change How You Give

Oct 29, 2020

Do you remember back to when you were first learning to exercise your generosity "muscle?"

Everyone has an initial launching point in their journey of generosity. And over the years, I have found that for some people their launching point is not necessarily very "holy" or "groundbreaking." 

Sometimes it's something very simple and tangible like:

  • tax savings
  • obligation
  • a relationship

Now I know for you, something like tax savings is not a motivation, but an added benefit of being a generous giver. As my pastor says:

 

"We don't give to get, we get to give."

 

I know I have been challenged in recent years to give when it doesn't even provide me a tax benefit. The intangible benefits of being a giver are way better than a temporary tax benefit.

But for others, maybe someone you know, 2020 might be the year that changes how they give. And maybe they need a tax benefit to take the...

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I Forgot The Number One Rule

Oct 13, 2020
 

I woke up this morning discouraged and I did something about it and I thought it might be helpful for you. 

I decided to celebrate the wins.

I was talking to my wife the other day, who is juggling, what, seven full-time jobs right now. She's added an assistant principal, a teaching assistant, and tech support to her, resume, and she was like, “I don't feel like I'm getting anything accomplished.”

I think we often feel that way.

I'm pretty sure I heard that our brains get a lot more dopamine from those negative thoughts, rather than focusing on the positive ones.

So I just set aside just FIVE minutes to write down a list of WINS from the past 9 months:

  • in my work
  • in my family
  • and in my own personal life

I discovered three things as I was doing this exercise:

NUMBER ONE

Discouragement comes from three places, circumstances, comparison, and COVID.

Circumstances, the way things are, can't really change that.

Comparison, Theodore Roosevelt said...

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We Can't Hoard Our Way Out of This

May 13, 2020

Are you all ZOOMED out?

Check out my recent interview on the new web-series ZOOM IN.

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Here's Where A Few People Are Making Investments This Week

Apr 03, 2020

Question: Should you stop investing?

For the answer, check out a real story from this week:

A client of mine asked me to stop their monthly deposits into their investment account. But not for the reason you're thinking. He said: "Right now I’m finding my most fruitful investments are encouraging the grocery store clerks and the folks who are worried about the current situation. Lot’s of folks having trouble finding peace, so the mission field is ripe, and it only takes a willingness to share a kind word and an expression of appreciation to make a small difference."

This guy is a real life hero. I would bet you'd agree he's not just making a small difference, but a BIG one. This is a normal family with 4 young kids. They have every reason to keep investing for their own future. But instead, they're investing in someONE instead of someTHING.

They're choosing to Reinvest HOPE rather than Reinvest FEAR.

As you video chat with family, co-workers, and friends...Are you...

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Bad News Is All There Is

Mar 17, 2020

I was talking with friend yesterday who said, "It's all bad news out there. There isn't any good news at all. Not even on the horizon." Although I know what he said isn't true, there's a lot of you thinking that way right now. The concerns around COVID-19 have been rising for some time, as a country, we have taken serious precautions to stop the spreading of the virus, and it has thrown a lot of us off our routine. But it is in these times, it's important to spread hope. 

I went out and compiled 4 quick stories to give you hope today. 4 stories of people spreading hope, by using their unique abilities to meet the needs of others without any tangible benefit for themselves, just the benefit of seeing others experience generosity.

I don't mean to make light of the current struggles that we all have. But I do mean to add levity, light, and joy that we can all have in the midst of uncertainty.

Check these out:

A young basketball star, pays tribute to his...

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I'm going to tell you about the best and cheapest investment that I ever made. And how I lost it all.

Jul 24, 2019

Here's what happened.

My favorite donut shop is a good 45-minute drive from my house. I go out of my way to stop by Spunky Dunkers in Palatine, IL whenever I can. You know the donuts are good because:

  1. They don’t have a website.
  2. No two donuts look the same. They’re like snowflakes.

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On one particular day last summer, I had a client meeting close by, so I made a morning stop for a donut and coffee. As I was about third in line, the cashier announced to the short line of customers:

“Our credit card machine is down right now, we’re only taking cash.”

The guy in front of me didn’t take the news that well.

“What? Are you serious?” he said so that we could all hear. I looked in my wallet. I had about $10 in cash. I tapped him on the shoulder.

“What were you gonna order?” I asked him.

“A donut and coffee” he said, frustrated.

"Well it's your lucky day," I said. "I never carry cash. I've gotcha...

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