Give More Than You Get

The most important step in building support for right livelihood is giving back more than you get. It's not really a matter of keeping track in some kind of ledger book. It's more a function of the attitude that you adopt in caring for yourself and those around you. People tend to mirror the way they are treated. If you show an interest in helping and sharing, those around you will start helping you and sharing more with you. If you empathize with other people's situations, they tend to empathize more with yours. The key is to be active about it. Look for opportunities to cooperate. With a proactive attitude of supporting others, you will seldom experience a shortage of support from others. A simple caution is in order, however, when it comes to giving to others. Give more than you get, but not more than you've got.

--Claude Whitmyer, Mindfulness and Meaningful Work