Category Archives: Generosity

“Ideas, bread, and books are all the same. They’re better when they are shared.”

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“Ideas, bread, and books are all the same. They’re better when they are shared.”

—Seth Godin, American author/business executive

Image from DrSeuss..com

Two popular holiday stories we all know quite well are A Christmas Carol, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Both stories portray their main character as selfish and self-centered, focusing only on what’s in it for themselves.

As Adam Grant demonstrates in his well-researched book, Give and Take, these characters are definitely takers. They may win in some situations, but lose in the long run.

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom can you generously share your ideas, bread, and books, to have the happiest of holidays and a more richly rewarding new year?

“The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.”

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“The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.”

—Homer, ancient Greek author of The Iliad and the Odyssey

Image from Unsplash by Kate Townsend

How often do you go out to eat? How often are your restaurant meals served by a waitperson?

What is your normal tip percentage for OK, good, or exceptional service?

In our early dating years, my wife Wendy was a waitress at a Friendly Restaurant outside of Philadelphia. Given this experience, she has always had a special place in her heart for kindhearted and caring servers who bring their authentic selves to their role, to make our dining experience special.

During our 40th anniversary dinner, she shared the story of a young waiter who really impressed her with his authenticity and character. Beyond her usual substantial tip, she handed him an extra 25 dollars to more fully acknowledge her delight in his service. This brought on a flood of tear from the young man.

EXERCISE:

Where might your current and future small charitable acts be even more precious to others than you realize? Where might an even more generous heart make a significant difference in your world today?

Live Simply Love Generously

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“Live Simply, Love Generously, Speak Truthfully, Breathe Deeply, Do Your Best. Leave everything else to the powers above you.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a field of red tulips

Life is complicated.

Or is it?

It seems the rules of the game are as long and laborious as the new tax code or other governmental regulations.

Far too often, we find our heads spinning and our spirits crushed by the overwhelming effort to sort through the complexities.

Who doesn’t crave far greater peace of mind, simplicity, and tranquility in our rat-race world?

EXERCISE:

Consider the five fundamental touch points in today’s quote as guides to inform your daily efforts to lead a far happier and satisfying life.

What would be possible if we all did this, and left the rest to the powers above?

Confront Improper Conduct

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“Confront improper conduct, not by retaliation, but by example.”

—John Foster, 18th Century Irish Politician

Image of a gift tag saying "generosity is..."

Image from Flickr by Stewardship-TransformingGenerosity

Mainstream and social media are having a field day given the domestic and international conflicts that abound.

Confrontation is at epidemic levels, with no end in sight. It is clear that whatever we resist persists, and seems to be getting even worse.

Instead of retaliation and fighting fire with fire, what if we all consistently demonstrated only the most honorable, ethical, and moral character traits in all our personal and professional interactions?

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom would setting a good example improve your situation and perhaps improve the conduct of everyone concerned?

To Have What You Want

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“To have what you want, don’t want it—give it.”

-Author Unknown

Image from Flickr by Alvanman

Image from Flickr by Alvanman

A dozen years ago The Secret was all the rage. Wherever you looked in bookstores, on the internet, and on Oprah, everyone wanted to master the secret to a happier life. Many also referred to it as the Law of Attraction, which is inherent in phrases like, “what you think about comes about.”

Today’s quote puts a bit of spin on this idea in that it suggests we simply need to give what we want to get.

Consider this list of the things most people want, and perhaps add a few of your own:

Love Respect Praise Trust
Loyalty Joy Happiness Pleasure
Wealth Adventure Achievement Acknowledgement
Health Peace Friendship Encouragement

EXERCISE:

How and where can you get far more of what you want by generously giving it to others? With whom could you begin this practice today?

Lose Yourself in Service

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“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

—Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Independence Leader

Image from blog.bcwinstitute.org

Image from blog.bcwinstitute.org

We’ve all heard statements such as “givers gain,” and “shift your life from success to significance.”

But how do we do it?

Today’s quote challenges us to lose ourselves in a good way, to find our flow and purpose, what we might call our true north.

When I ‘give,’ I grow and feel I’m living a more expansive and true life. When I ‘get,’ I feel good too, but it’s not the same experience or at the same level.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you serve others so that you both lose and find yourself in the experience?

“One of the sanest, surest and…”

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“One of the sanest, surest and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.”

—Robert A. Heinlein, American Science Fiction Author

Photo from Flickr by Barbara Mazz

Photo from Flickr by Barbara Mazz

Do you like Chinese food? I do.

I must admit that in addition to enjoying the wide variety of tastes, textures, and aromas of Chinese food, I also enjoy the little ritual at the end of the meal. Yes, I very much look forward to opening my fortune cookie.

Imagine, for a moment, that all your future fortune cookies are “good fortune” cookies, and that not only do you get benefit from the one intended specifically for you, but you also get a boost of happiness from those of your dining companions.

EXERCISE:

How can you bolster your own life satisfaction by experiencing the added joy and fulfillment through the good fortune of others?

“Always give without remembering. Always receive without forgetting.”

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“Always give without remembering. Always receive without forgetting.”

– Brian Tracy, motivational speaker and author

Generosity and gratitude are powerful forces. They help us live happier lives. Unfortunately, the wisdom of Brian Tracy’s quote is not always heeded, and people often do what I call “keeping score.” Put simply, this means that “I’ll give you one if you give me one.”

Under this “giving must equal getting” rule, it’s easy for a person to feel that the equation is unbalanced. The process of giving and receiving grinds to a halt, with potential anger and resentment as a result.

Exercise:

Answer the following questions:

How will you operate from a place of abundance and generosity today and in the future?

How will you go out of your way to acknowledge the small and large acts of kindness people offer today and in the future?

“Our job is the excuse through which we get to love people.”

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“Our job is the excuse through which we get to love people.”

– Panache Desai, author of You are Enough

What percent of your life do you spend engaged in work? For the sake of today’s quote, I’m going to define work as our vocation, or the way we earn a living.

For the person working Monday through Friday, a minimum of 8 hours a day (who does that these days?) work represents approximately one fourth of our life. If the song lyrics from the Beatles tune are true, and all you need is love, or the old song love makes the world go round, then perhaps Desai is really on to something.

Exercise:

How can you view your daily work efforts as an act of love, contribution and generosity, instead of something to get through on the way to your weekend?