Yesterday, I was flipping through my latest PEOPLE magazine, when I saw a book review that caught my attention. “The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back” tells the story of the Salwen family.
This family of four was living the good life. Their 6,500 square foot in Atlanta had three Viking stoves, an elegant dining room, Portuguese inlaid tile, an elevator, and a $2 million price tag. Then one day, something happened.
No, dad Kevin didn’t lose his job as a writer and entrepreneur, there was no major family catastrophe for mom Joan, but while the family was driving home one day, 14 year old Hannah noticed a homeless man on one side of them and a Mercedes coupe on the other. She innocently pointed out that “if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.”
And so the foundation was set for the Salwens to transform themselves as a family. They sold their house and moved into one half the size of the original. After much research, the difference in price – $800,000 – was donated to the Hunger Project to help 40 villages in Ghana. The realtors who sold the Salwens home were so inspired that they too pledged $100,000 to the Hunger Project.
The Salwens found that in the smaller house, they spent more time together as a family. Kevin said, “We essentially traded stuff for togetherness and connectedness.”
Kevin doesn’t expect everyone to give up their home. But he did point out that social consciousness is rewarding if you are willing to give up half of something – half of your television time (which saves electricity) or half your clothing (to the homeless).
To chronicle their experience, the Kevin and Hannah decided to write the book in hopes of encouraging others to look at what they have and what they can give back.
To find out what you can and can’t live without, Kevin suggested being introspective, find surpluses, and work with the family to see what can be done to help others with those surpluses.
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