Leverage - from the mat to life
.jpg)
A big part of my fascination for BJJ (and all things combative) is the realization that many of the larger lessons that I have learned in life, have come from my experience (relevations) as a martial artist. What I have learned on the mat, I have brought to bear in everyday life.
One principle comes to mind - and that is the principle of best leverage. Leverage - to move a lot with a little - is something that everyone learns quickly in their BJJ practice. bringing this understanding into our daily lives is something that has obvious appeal - and I am always mindful of the power of it.
I was on a Virgin flight this weekend just past (on my way to a seminar in Queensland) and the airline staff announced that they would be coming around collecting donations from the passengers for the recent Victorian Bushfire appeal. They also promised that for evry dollar collected, the Virgi Airline Company would match with a dollar of their own. As I dropped my donation into their bag, it occurred to me that this was a great way to 'leverage' my small contrinution into something more meaningful (double value - with the promised Virgin contribution). it then occurred to me that if I (or someone) could collect some of the larger donations that entire comunities/schools, etc are compiling, hump it onto a Virgin flight over the next few days, then that would be a great use of the leverage-principle. I would love to walk onto a Virgin flight with a sackful of dollars (say the 1/2 milliuon that our own community is collecting) and dump it into the Virgin sack. An instant million! Leverage. Obviously Virgin would quickly change their policy - but leverage would have worked it's magic - and hey, maybe Richrd Branson would even applaud the idea - who knows!
So if there is anyone out there who has an 'in' with a Bushfire Appeal committee, go talk to them, let them hear the idea - and take the collection onto a local Virgin flight to double the value. Just a thought - LEVERAGE IN ACTION>
Move a lot with a little today!
JBW
Comments
The secret is in the tax. It is an old tradition of large companies to encourage donations to charity, because the money doesn't go straight to charity, it goes to the company, then to charity.
So if you give $1 to Ronald McDonald House, McDonalds will take the $1 and give it to charity under their name. They then claim that $1 on their tax and get back (approx) 40cents for it.
So for every dollar you are giving virgin, they are getting 40cents back, then they donate $1 on their own and get 40cents back. So really the company themselves are only losing 20cents per every dollar you give.
Of course I am not trying to discourage giving, I just prefer to give to the Red Cross directly, that way I get the tax benefit.
Regards
Jett