This blog entry has been contributed by Courtney Carroll from Financial Fitness

During the past several weeks I have shared with you my thoughts regarding 4 key strategies for setting you on a path to Financial Fitness.  Today I would like to share with you the 5th strategy for living a more purposeful life.  The 5th strategy to be explored and incorporated in your plan is Charity.

Charity begins at home, we have often heard that.  This strategy is often overlooked by those who are living pay check to pay check because they fear that giving will leave them with very little for themselves.  Unfortunately they do not understand the universal law that there is more than enough to go around and that those who give shall receive.  Even in the good book (the bible) it is written that it is better to give than receive and that when you give your rewards will be multiplied ten fold.

Imagine the following scenario, a man has within his grasp $20.00 and he could share a portion of this $20.00 with others who are also in need but instead he clutches to that $20.00.  The unfortunate reality is that unless he is willing to open his hands and share what he has no more will come to that closed fist.  And so it is with charity, in order to receive you must open your hands and give willing to others.  By doing so, you set the stage for more to be returned to your hands.

The wealthy in society have been doing this for years.  In fact many of them give 10% if not more to worthy charities all over the world.  They understand the universal law and give willingly, knowing that by giving they will be blessed and rewarded accordingly.

Now giving doesn’t always mean giving your money.  Money is only one aspect of what is meant by charity.  For many of us our most precious resource is our time, so giving back to your community by volunteering in a senior’s home, working with children in a group home or giving back to your school community are all aspects of giving and it is your time.

What is your time worth?  Maybe you have a dollar value of $50.00 an hour for your time.  Well if you multiply that dollar value by the number of hours you volunteer per week that is the monetary equivalent of what you are contributing.  So giving does not have to be physical dollars, it can be time.  One of the blessings that come from giving is that you never know whose life will benefit from your charity.  You get the opportunity to touch countless lives through your selfless acts of kindness.  In order for you to be truly blessed and live a Financially Fit life you must become a willing giver to those in need.