Intrapersonal Tithing
"You can't give what you don't have. If you are physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained, you have little to give. You can give more effectively when you lead a balanced life and take care of yourself. As comedian Lily Tomlin says, 'For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.'
"Harvey's concept of intrapersonal tithing suggests that you devote 10 percent of your time to becoming a better, healthier, and wiser individual.
"There are 8,760 hours in your year. The average person sleeps eight hours a day, or 2,920 hours. That leaves 5,840 waking hours. After you subtract other essential commitments, such as:
"• work — 40 hours x 50 = 2,000 hours,
"• buying, preparing, and eating food — 2 hours x 365 days = 730 hours,
"• performing toiletries, cleaning clothes, etc. — about 200 hours, and
"• commuting — about 300 hours,
you have 2,610 hours left.
"Each of us has unique and compelling claims on this leftover time. Helping a child with homework, family get-togethers, or a special hobby can take hundreds of additional hours from your 'spare' time.
"However, let's estimate that you have approximately 2,000 hours each year that are somewhat flexible. Ten percent of this would be 200 hours. We encourage you to take at least this much time to tithe to yourself. Ideally, you could even consider 10 percent of your waking time, or 584 hours.
"Two hundred hours is just about 4 hours per week; 584 hours works out to 11 hours, 14 minutes, a week. Within this range, consider committing time to some of the following activities. Each of them will enhance your personal growth and your ability to give to others.
"• Read fiction and nonfiction to inspire yourself.
"• Read books that teach you new skills and knowledge.
"• Read books that stimulate you to look at the world in a different way.
"• Spend time in nature. Research shows that contact with nature makes people happier, and you will place a higher value on nature.
"• Commit to exercising at least three times a week.
"• Do yoga.
"• Meditate or pray.
"• Spend time with your loved ones.
"• Consider therapy if you have unresolved issues that cause you pain or that have a negative impact on your life.
"• Learn to listen to others.
"• Walk.
"• Laugh.
"When you enhance your knowledge, learn new ideas, and gain new skills, you have much more to offer others. Greater knowledge can lead to better jobs, higher income, and more personal satisfaction.
"When you give time to yourself in the ways we list above, you'll enhance your health. Exercise will give you more energy. You'll feel better and protect yourself against disease and injuries. You'll have more enthusiasm, and you'll work harder. When you eat well, you can live longer and have more resistance to disease. When you practice yoga, you gain flexibility and strengthen your body. Each of these activities represents a form of personal giving.
"When you nurture your spirit through prayer or meditation or by spending time in nature, you become a more compassionate person. You are more likely to have healthier relationships, a positive attitude to life, and a feeling of abundance. By intrapersonal tithing you make a time commitment to your growth and health — and you'll have much more to share with others."
