You’re asking me to give more? But I’m depleted, my reservoir is dry, I have no energy to be generous right now. Does any of that resonate with you?
What if instead, you took this invitation to simply acknowledge where you’re already being generous in your life? We all have gifts to give this world. Whether they are big or small, there is a piece of you that is full enough to offer to others.
Maybe this happens with all of your efforts and heart that flow into your job.
Maybe it’s being a listener to a friend who needs to vent.
Maybe you give your gift in patience, love or awareness.
Being generous doesn’t necessarily mean giving money.
Generosity comes from a spirit of abundance, a noble intention to help, to offer kindness, to reach out and connect in some way.
And maybe, this whole concept of generosity makes you feel uneasy because you.give.so. much.every.day.all.year.long. And I hear you, I get you.
For those of you feeling totally burned out from giving selflessly, instead of cringing away or throwing up your hands at this topic, how about just pausing and noticing when you are giving something of yourself. How does it feel to give? What is your intention? Can you savor the joy or goodness in being generous? Are you giving too much?
Maybe the answer is yes. And maybe more time for self-care, pausing or simply loving yourself would be the most generous act of kindness you could do right now.
Generosity doesn’t always have to be about the other, extending the spirit of kindness and unexpected effort toward ourselves is a possibility. And the thing is, when we do slow down enough to notice our generous acts, we connect with something bigger inside of our hearts, we feel whole and plentiful.
Generosity, like gratitude, is a practice in connection and in awareness.
To deepen your experience and understanding of generosity consider the reflection questions below:
What gift do I have to give the world?
What does generosity mean to me?
What feels abundant in me that I can share with others?
What blocks me from being more generous?