The Circle of Generosity [Gary Hoag]

Most people think that the end goal of working hard is to accumulate as much money as possible, buy a nice house and a nice car, go on holidays and live comfortably.

But what if the goal was to accumulate as much money as possible, just to give away to others?

Not many people we know do this.

But for Gary Hoag, this is how he lives his life.

Gary, AKA The Generosity Monk, is the President & CEO of Global Trust Partners. He is a public speaker, author and academic who has dedicated his life to encouraging Christian generosity all across the globe.

For Gary, generosity is circular.

What you put out there, you get back in abundance. But, it is always way better to give than to receive.

And, he puts his money where his mouth is. He lives with just 3 months of living expenses to his name. Over and above this, he donates to others.

In fact, when Gary first started living this way, his family donated away their life savings of $170,000 to others.This conversation with his family about his new philosophy was not easy but it was worthwhile.

“Conversations about money help you unpack more important conversations – the hard issues”, says Gary. But it was important to meet on the same page as his wife, so they could travel the journey together.

This was also important because, in 2011, Gary’s wife Jenni was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and they found themselves with huge medical bills that the stipend could not cover.

However, there was no animosity amongst the family when this happened. A positive attitude and their true belief on the cyclical nature of generosity held them in good stead.

“Over the next six weeks, six people [we never asked] sent us cheques that covered the exact amount we needed for the medical bills”, shared Gary.

This confirmed their views on generosity. They did not need to stockpile wealth. They gave away to others, so they received it back.

Gary uses this example to share his views on generosity, philanthropy and living a happy life.

As a financial adviser, this philosophy challenges my attitudes towards wealth management. But, is this something the everyday Aussie should or could do?

We unpack this in Episode 14 of It’s Never About Money.

Find out more

Stream this episode now

Featured Guests

Subscribe now