{"id":4633,"date":"2013-07-03T12:01:17","date_gmt":"2013-07-03T16:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/?p=4633"},"modified":"2013-07-02T13:50:47","modified_gmt":"2013-07-02T17:50:47","slug":"sustainable-giving-with-bobby-sager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2013\/07\/sustainable-giving-with-bobby-sager.html","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Giving with Bobby Sager"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bobby<\/a>I\u2019m a big believer in giving back in ways that help people. So many people in the world need help. That\u2019s why I was thrilled to have a conversation with Bobby Sager<\/strong><\/a>, a businessman who made a fortune by seeing opportunity where others have not. Not just satisfied with working hard to make money, in 2000, Bobby, along with his wife and kids founded the Sager Family Traveling Foundation & Roadshow<\/strong><\/a>. They\u2019ve made three-dozen trips and established their own special brand of hands-on philanthropy.<\/p>\n

Bobby doesn\u2019t believe in\u00a0 handouts With everything he does, people would be surprised to hear him say he doesn\u2019t give charity.Instead his philanthropy uses business principles and business accountability, whether it’s fostering entrepreneurship in Rwanda and Palestine, training teachers in Pakistan, or a leadership program for Tibetan monks. And in addition to all of that, Bobby and his foundation put together the Science for Monks program at the request of the Dalai Lama. So I had to talk to him about.<\/p>\n

About fourteen years ago His Holiness the Dalai Lama told Bobby about his idea of monks and nuns studying science. His Holiness wanted to bring the study of science into the monasteries and this would be the first time in their fifteen hundred year history that Western type science would be taught there. Bobby says, \u201cHis Holiness said it was very important to have a 2-way conversation with scientists and Tibetan Buddhism and how the two connect. He said he was trying to provide enough science and a well-rounded education to the monks and have their wisdom more accessible. When young people living in the di Astra (the Tibetan refugee community) are being exposed to and meet a monk, they may be more likely to listen to one who knows science and wants to explain to them about Buddhism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monks who know science come across as more connected, well-rounded and tuned in. His Holiness and Bobby have been a team to accomplish this from the beginning. They provide the resources, the facilities, lodgings and logistics between the monasteries and Bobby\u2019s foundation brings the resources from American universities to both teach and develop the curriculum.\"Bobby<\/a><\/p>\n

Bobby \u2019s latest book, Beyond the Robe,<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 tells the story of the decade long development of the Science for Monks program. It gives you a good look at the larger role Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns can play in their monasteries, communities, and in the world at large. The book is a collection of essays from the monks and scientists giving the first insights that have come out of this historic effort. Beyond the Robe <\/strong><\/a>follows the monks’ study of science, highlighted by what the study of science revealed about who these remarkable men and woman really are and the much bigger role that they seem so suited to fill.<\/p>\n

I asked Bobbby why he thought it was important to document this. He said, \u201cThe book is the insights that we have gotten to the critical masses. My experience has been that everybody admires monks and nuns, mostly from afar. And we have all these preconceived notions that they\u2019re all kind of smiling, chanting, and cross-legged. The reality is there are just as many varieties of personality, ability, and energy in the monastic community as in a typical university. What I have found from being with them for all these years is they\u2019re very dynamic people. As I say in the book, \u2018Instead of admiring them from afar, let\u2019s get close enough to listen.\u2019 It\u2019s about stripping away some of our preconceived notions. For example, there\u2019s an idea that a monastery a place to go to sort of escape from the world when instead it\u2019s a place to go to tune up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bobby made it clear from the beginning that\u00a0he needs to be hands on for any opportunities he gets involved in,. He explained, \u201cMy ability is an important part of the currency. I can insert myself into something, create a new program and hire the right people, hold people accountable and go through all the iterations you need to go through when you\u2019re creating new programs. It needed to pass that filter because I\u2019m not just someone who writes checks and stands back and lets it happen. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve done for the last 12-13 years now.\u201d When Bobby backs a project, it\u2019s not just with money. He brings his know-how to the table and makes sure the people he\u2019s helping are ready to work hard too.<\/p>\n

Fro the Science for Monks program, Bobby stayed at the monasteries and participated in the development of the curriculum and resourcing the teachers and the development of the translations of various scientific books, videos and other things. In his book, The Power of the Invisible Sun<\/strong><\/a>, Bobby explains how to make yourself the currency and how the idea of just writing a check leaves so much value on the table. He says, \u201cPeople always say you get more out of giving and in this case it\u2019s sort of true on steroids. Living amongst the monks and developing friendships is in business parlance my return on investment\u2014the impact that I make on this program and the monks and also on myself and my family by being exposed so intimately to this special group of people and to this tradition. It\u2019s a very important part of why I\u2019m so devoted to it.”<\/p>\n

Bobby advises, \u201cBe selfish. Go help someone.\u201d It nourished him and his family. He likes knowing hat he\u2019s made a difference in the lives of other people. He believes that making a difference in the lives of others only matters if it\u2019s sustainable and it won\u2019t be if you\u2019re just doing it because you\u2019re supposed to, since that stuff run out. If it nourishes you and helps you learn more, feel more and be more you you\u2018ll want to do it all the time.<\/p>\n

Bobby says he doesn\u2019t give charity. He wants to help people to help themselves. I asked if he believed in the saying, \u201cGive a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.\u201d He explains, \u201cWe take it a step further. The problem is that if you give him a fishing pole, all he can do is eat fish. We, in one form or another are teaching people how to catch and sell the fish.\u201d For example one of their initiatives is Hands Up Not hands Out<\/strong><\/a>, founded by Bobby\u2019s daughter Tess. They make it make it possible for 300 women from Rwanda and Palestine to sell their handmade jewelry. The organization helps the women make and sell the jewelry to high-end stores!<\/p>\n

In Rwanda they make colorful earrings out of sweet grass, which they made baskets from. One amazing aspect of that program is it brings widows whose husbands were murdered in the genocide together with wives of men in prison because they committed murder. They work together for business because it\u2019s in their best interests. They have reconciliation by making money together and it strips away the prejudices.<\/p>\n

Bobby Sager<\/strong><\/a> i an inspiration to all of us. He takes giving back to the extreme. Check out\u00a0the Science for Monks program in Beyond the Robe.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Please leave comments under my posts so we can stay connected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m a big believer in giving back in ways that help people. So many people in the world need help. That\u2019s why I was thrilled to have a conversation with Bobby Sager, a businessman who made a fortune by seeing opportunity where others have not. 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Daylle's books have been translated into over 10 languages and are popular around the world. She speaks for colleges, organizations and corporations. Through her company, Project Self-Empowerment, Daylle creates programs and materials to help people empower themselves. One goal is to raise the money to self-publish her book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways and give it away for free in colleges and through organizations, to give thanks for all her blessings. 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