What is the value you put on pleasure?

David Suzuki recently posed the question; How much is a tomato worth?. The excercize was a comparison between purchasing a tomato and growing one yourself. The premise is that most people do not attribute a value to things that they desire, nor the impact on the environment or the community for that matter.

A domain that is of particular relevance is Volunteering. As an entrepreneur with a niche in the Charity fund raising realm, i am given the opportunity to volunteer my time or donate product to various causes on countless occasions. I feel that I am genuine and giving, however with 5,000 charities in Vancouver alone, it can be quite overwhelming and at times downright insulting what they offer in exchange. Aww c'mon its for Charity.. what's wrong with you, I have been told. I don't really want to disappoint and by not saying no in the past it has come to bite me in the ass on more than one occasion. You likely know the routine, over committed and under deliver, sorry more than once bitten... and I'm not shy... its worse. So the question comes down to how do you say no... politely? As an entrepreneur, you know that you juggle two perspectives, your personal and your business. From a business perspective there are other stakeholders and interests to balance, which can be a delicate subject. From a personal perspective, only you know what you really want, how that translates into where you put your love can be complex, but doesn't have to be.

so, It comes down to what your passions are, what motivates you, how are you defined? A company also has its destiny and stakeholders. By being more self aware will help give you the freedom to focus first on what is important, prioritize what you can realistically do and what associations you align with. Some people have been known to take different approaches, committing to one charity for a number of years and go very deep, or distribute evenly amongst a number throughout the year.

However at the end of the day it is about legacy. What drives people to build their legacy is complex, it can be what is relevant to them today or something they didn't have in the past or a defining moment in their life. A good test is to think of yourself at your own funeral, how would you want to be remembered? Base your assessment in the present tense, meaning what has defined you today. What things would you like to change, how can you help people based on the life experiences you have had up until this point? When determining the Charity you want to support, set objectives for your commitment, they should be; SMART, Simple, Measureable, Realistic and Time Specific. Most importantly place a value on your time, similar to an opportunity cost, think of your next best alternative, by being honest with yourself. Place a premium on your time not spend with family and friends, ensure that the Charity you are working with knows what you can offer, in terms of skills, ideas, connections and contacts. They should be matching something to your skill, otherwise you have allowed them to devalue your time. Even the perception of a menial task may be of value to a busy executive that want a release from the complex business world. Sometimes even the completion of a basic task is healing in itself.

In the end, like golf, commit to the shot and execute but most importantly, have fun, its a part of the game of life, which is something we should value every day. Because you never really know when the game ends.

G