'It was the right thing to do'

'It was the right thing to do' he says of $10,000 donation to United Way.

Every day I am more and more amazed at the good in people. If only we look to find it.

As we all know, worldwide, the economy is very, very unstable. There are mixed views and mixed opinions. One thing stands true however, we are in a recession and a bad one. But the great thing about the human spirit is it is deeply imbedded in our DNA to get through bad days, weeks, months...Hell even years.

Somehow we find the inner strength we need to survive. We find something within us that guides us. I believe it to be a combination of spirit and up bringing. It can also be attributed to our personal philosophy on life.

Right now all I hear is "I need...." or "I wish...." or my personal favorite "Why does this always happen to me?"

Success in any time is a great feeling, but the thing that bother's me the most is that the vast majority of people feel that success can only be measured by one's possession's, one's wealth.

Not true.

Meet Jim Dancy of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

As of today the most successful man I have not (and most likely never will ) be introduced to.

Why has this man I have never met earned this title?

He won a lottery, a lottery worth $10,000.00. You're probably thinking "lucky" guy no doubt. Personally I didn't much care either until I read the story.

He won the money and then he gave it all to the Greater Kalamazoo United Way. His charity of choice.

In the hard times so many are facing, the United Way needs all the help it can get, in any form, food or shelter. Even clothing but especially money.

A man who won enough money to help himself first, as so many people do, has helped countless others with this incredible gift of generosity and kindness.

He was quoted as saying:

"I feel very good today, knowing I could help a little — probably my 'best day' in a long time. When everyone was thanking me, I was thinking how much you all do every day, and thought it should really be the other way around: I should be thanking you. So, thanks for your work," he said.

Mike Larson, Greater Kalamazoo United Way's president and chief executive said the donation couldn't have come at a better time.

No kidding.

Jim you are a great man, no matter what you do the rest of your life, you have proven to be a man of greatness on countless levels and as such you should be congratulated.

That my friends is the truest measure of success. Giving when it's not easy to give. He is not a millionaire, it might not have been easy to part with such a large amount of money....but he thought of other's first.


Quick fact: Dancy is co-founder, vice president and chief operating officer of Innovative Analytics, a biological research company in Kalamazoo. He said he felt good about his decision and was confident that United Way was the correct recipient.