Series: The DGL® Series — Blog 3
Discover transformative books by Dr. Sanjay Runwal: 1. SBOP Living, 2. Living the MGH Way, 3. Golden Retirement and 4. Thoughtful Reflections
We live in a world where companies talk a lot about accountability. They pour millions into various projects through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Yet, despite all this spending, we do not feel closer to one another. This is because money alone cannot build a community. While a company can fund a project, it cannot provide the genuine human care and warmth that truly brings people together. In many ways, CSR has become a financial transaction rather than a human connection.
As a Humanologist, I have spent much time reflecting on this gap. The answer, I believe, is quite simple: CSR is often missing a soul.
In my foundational book, "How to Live Life? SBOP® Living® — For Life After 55/60," I introduced a revolutionary paradigm shift. I wrote: "I term DGL® as the individual equivalent of CSR which is the amount spent by companies as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending. The key difference is that CSR is by compulsion and DGL® is voluntary."
1. The Entry Barrier: Stature vs. Spirit
A major strategic difference between these two models is the timing of their commencement. CSR is inherently linked to financial stature. By its very nature, a company starts its CSR journey only after it has reached a certain level of financial strength, profitability, and regulatory size. It is a philanthropy that waits for a milestone.
Doing Good in Life (DGL®) does not wait for such milestones. It does not require you to reach a specific net worth or a certain status before you begin. While CSR requires corporate profits, DGL® requires only intent and spirit. You can begin your DGL® journey today, whether you are at the start of your career or at the peak of your "Golden Retirement."
2. The Final Audit: Sharing vs. Owning
This leads us to the most important question a high-achiever must eventually face: "How will I be remembered?" In my book, I encourage readers to look past their current success and contemplate the ultimate legacy.
Good deeds will stay much longer after you are gone. I urge you to start thinking about what people will speak about you in the final speech at the crematorium. Will they remember you for the riches with which you lived and died, or the riches which you shared and thereby continue to live even after death?
This is the core of the DGL® philosophy. I often tell my mentees: "Be selfish to create a large space for yourself in the hearts of as many as you can. This is one selfishness no one will rue." This is the beautiful paradox of the human journey. Your personal desire for significance (Swarth) is fulfilled only when it takes the form of selfless service to others (Parmarth).
3. Wealth Alone vs. Wealth, Wisdom, and Warmth
Traditional company giving is often single-engined, relying almost exclusively on financial capital. A company cuts a check and moves on. The DGL® philosophy is tri-engined, utilizing the 3Ws:
- Wealth: Using material resources intentionally to remove barriers.
- Wisdom: Sharing your lived experiences and expertise (the 5Es) to empower others.
- Warmth: Infusing every action with empathy, kindness, and human dignity.
Because DGL® is decentralized and personal, it bypasses the institutional traps that sometimes dilute CSR, such as box-checking bureaucracy or corporate optics. There are no boardrooms standing between the giver and the true target of merit.
4. From Transaction to Transformation
Ultimately, much of CSR is designed as a formal exchange, a way for a company to check a box and meet a requirement. DGL® is a transformational model of abundance. Because it is driven by choice rather than regulation, it transforms both the giver and the receiver.
The person receiving help is met with genuine warmth rather than a cold process. The person giving finds a sense of completeness that no amount of accumulation can provide.
A complete life requires us to transition from a mindset of absolute accumulation to a mindset of purposeful distribution. It is time to look past the company balance sheet and focus on what truly matters: building your DGL® passbook. At the end of life, your bank passbook will matter only to your heirs, but your DGL® passbook will define your eternal legacy and your place in the hearts of many.
Your Reflection and Action Points
- The Milestone Trap: Are you waiting for a certain "financial stature" before you start giving back? What is one act of DGL® you can perform today that requires zero financial capital?
- The Final Speech: If your "final speech" were written today, would it focus on the riches you lived with or the riches you shared?
- Creating Space: Who is one person in your community whose life you can touch this week to "create space in their heart" for your legacy?
- The 3W Integration: How can you use your Wisdom or Warmth to make your next financial contribution more impactful?
- Swarth to Parmarth: Can you identify a personal goal that, if achieved, would naturally lead to the welfare of others?
Your golden moments of a purposeful life are happening right now, in this very second. Do not allow a digital notification to steal the presence required to live them magnificently.
Dr. Sanjay Runwal
Business Strategist and Humanologist
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author. In no way does Dr. Sanjay Runwal intend to belittle the utility, institutional value, or the significant positive impact that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) achieves in India and globally. His objective is to provide a complementary, personal framework for individual contribution through the DGL® philosophy, encouraging each person to take an active role in societal well-being.