I'm pretty sure all of us have at least one friend who is very charitable, and I've met plenty of people who seem to have a genuine desire to give back. I've even seen a lot of blogs which focus solely on the subject of giving. But, how can you take it from this point and actually act on it? How can you give back without feeling guilty?
I'd like to focus on 3 things here:
When you donate, it should feel good, not like you're wasting money. You should enjoy the experience, and it should be something you want to do again and again.
You can give by volunteering. There's nothing wrong with getting involved in local charity events or volunteering for international non-profit organizations. Even if it's something as simple as going to food banks or picking up litter, it's worth doing. I know it's not my thing, but when I was in Uganda volunteering for an organization called World Vision, I came across a 10-year-old child named Moses. He had his leg amputated because he was hit by a motorcycle, and he'd been begging me for food since I'd come across him. I could see a deep sadness in his eyes, and the way he looked at me touched me so much. It gave me a little bit of hope.
Volunteering is also a great opportunity to make new friends. While you're working, you'll often have to eat lunch together. You might find that you really enjoy interacting with people, especially if you're looking for a change in your life.
Of course, the easiest way to act on these ideas is to sign up with a local non-profit organization. The trickiest part is finding the kind of non-profit that's right for you. Do some research and think about what kind of impact you'd like to have. Do you want to help fund an orphanage in Africa? Or maybe you want to teach kids about nutrition or the environment.