speech

Introduction

Kia ora, do you like helping people? ‘Cause I do. Giving and helping makes me feel like I’ve done a good deed. Maybe if people give more, there would be less hardship.  Giving does something pretty cool to your brain too. So, here’s why I think giving is way better.

Do you know what It’s like to be poor?

Just imagine if you were living in a small house in poverty or even worse living on the street because you don’t have enough to pay the rent. Imagine what it would be like on the cold stormy nights. Without much shelter. Just imagine what those poor citizens of New Zealand sitting on the streets and the people living in poverty are going through and imagine yourself in those conditions. It’s not very nice is it?

Helping people in need Is a type of giving where nothing is expected in return.  Take the Orange sky van for example. Two kind men run a small charity of their own, providing poor and homeless Aucklanders with warm showers and a place to clean their clothes and other things that may need washing. This may not seem like much to you, but it’s a big deal to those in need. It helps them because they don’t need to choose between eating or being clean. 

Ways you could help are small things like;

make a free food caravan for those who can’t afford to go to the supermarket. Or if you don’t have money to spare, there are plenty of free ways to give. Like...

Hand down your clothes instead of selling them.  

Talk to people. Listening to someone is giving your time and could motivate them to take action.

Giving to people inspires others to give as well. If more people give maybe there will be less hardship. Now imagine if everyone gave a little bit back to their communities. How different would our world be? 

Giving makes you feel good but receiving doesn’t always. Most of the time you feel grateful but sometimes you have a negative or a not so good reaction.  

To show you what I mean, here are 3 chocolates. One for you… one for you… and this one especially for you. (wink)

You might be feeling super grateful because you were hungry and you love chocolate. You might be feeling embarrassed because I just put you on the spot. You might feel guilty because it seems like I’m bribing you [ wink] but I’m not [ wink ] I’m just showing you how receiving doesn't always make people feel good. That's why giving is better than receiving. I’ve just given three people chocolate and it made me feel great. 

Did you know that giving does amazing things to your brain? Well it does.

Giving sets of chemical reactions in the brain. Like serotonin which is to do with our mood, dopamine which helps us feel good, oxytocin which is to do with our compassion and the mesolimbic pathway which is also called our reward centre. Pretend like there are tiny people in your brain named serotonin, dopamine,  and oxytocin and they hold hands along the mesolimbic pathway then they let of party poppers called endorphins. As a group they create what’s known as a helpers high.

When you receive too much, you can become a spoilt brat and begin to expect stuff. Receiving things can feel good too but when you give, you are in charge. You can choose to give whenever you want if giving makes you feel good but you can't choose to receive whenever you want.  

People quite often say, “Don't cross oceans for people who wouldn't cross a puddle for you.”

Which seems like good advice. 

But then I found a meme by a great author who is unknown, that said “No. Do it. Do cross oceans for people. Love all people. No conditions attached. No wondering whether or not they are worthy. Cross oceans, climb mountains. Life and love isn't about what you gain it's about what you give.”

  

That changed my mind. How about you?