Many of you in developed economies, like the United States, recognize that you have more stuff and money than you need, and you have more stuff and money than most people in the rest of the world have.

When recognizing this, it’s natural to want to even things up by giving things away to people who have less. Though this is often well-intentioned, it is also often a disservice to the recipient. It’s similar, by analogy, to someone who knows a lot about math seeing a struggling math student and evening things up by giving them the answers to their homework. It’s not what that math student needs, or really wants deep down. Human beings want to feel capable. They want to succeed on their merit.

(There are also emergencies, like natural disasters and war, or a child wandering toward the street. These require a different response entirely, the giving of emergency aide.)

I’ve been working on my book about the investment of time and money. I’m writing chapters about consumption and savings, compounding growth, and investing for the long term.

Putting these two ideas together, I think one of the best things we rich Americans can do with our excess is not consume it, but save it and invest it in increases in productivity. Things like our skills, our education, our business activities that spill over into creating opportunities for others to learn, grow, and work. It means courage to invest in ourselves, to start things, to lead things, and to invite others into those things.

There’s little long-term benefit in consuming more ourselves, and little long-term benefit in transferring stuff from the haves to the have-nots. There’s great long-term benefit in increasing productivity and broadening the circles of those who are welcomed to participate in it.

This requires risk and investment, and those are things we can do with our excess.

At it’s core Christmas is about generosity. The generosity of a God who gave up a son for our benefit, reflected in our generosity with each other at Christmas.

Generosity gives life meaning more than anything else I know. Have a generous Christmas Day.

Some of you have asked how my book is coming along. My intention was to self-publish a book based on my personal manifesto of investment principles, as a resource for my friends and coaching clients. Some advisors I respect have suggested I attempt to find a publisher before going the self-publishing route. I’ve conceded, and begun contacting literary agents.

If the book is accepted by a traditional publisher it will take about a year to be released. If I quickly receive a sufficiently large stack of rejection letters, the book will be out in self-published form much sooner.

Seeking publication of a book is turning out to be an odd process for this Internet-age guy used to being the picker rather than the beseecher of pickers. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot. I’ll keep you posted.

When the book makes it, one way or another, to draft review stage, I’ll be in touch with you who offered to be early readers. Thanks!

The record label has more power than the artist looking to be signed.

The employer has more power than the applicant looking to be hired.

Google has more power than the website looking to appear in search results.

The pickers have more power because they took the risk to start something of their own.

Waiting to be picked can be a copout from stepping out and doing something.

Be careful to whom you give the power to pick or reject you. Remember if you aren’t picked, you still get to pick who gets the next chance to pick you.

Consider starting something that makes you the picker.

Pick yourself and go.

You know that painful, stressful moment when a friend or colleague confronts you about a problem they see in you?

In that moment you are receiving a valuable gift. You stand to benefit so much from listening. They may have nothing to gain by taking the risk to speak up to you.

Thank them and ask to hear more. That’s the wise, fitting, and difficult, response to someone who cares enough to give you negative feedback.