November 10
  
 
You do not have to be rich to be
generous.  If you have the spirit of
true generosity, a pauper can give
like a prince.

Corinne U. Wells

  

Today's Meditation:

Sometimes I feel that if I had more money, I'd be more generous.  After all, if I had more to give, I could give more, right?  That's what logic tells me.  Fortunately, I have my heart here to argue with my logic, and it tells me that my generosity is not measured by the amounts I give, but by the ways in which I give.  It's the spirit behind the giving that determines the true level of my generosity, and that's important to keep in mind.

I remember a television show in which a character bought a car for his parents, even though his parents didn't even want a car.  And it was a luxury car to boot, which his parents definitely didn't want.  The son thought that he was being incredibly generous just because he was buying an expensive car for them, but in reality he was simply fulfilling his own need to feel generous.  He didn't once consider his parents' wants and needs-- he only thought about what he wanted to give, and he got upset when his parents told him they didn't really want the car.

Our giving should be from our hearts, and our giving always should take into account the needs of the people to whom we're giving.  If we're able to follow those simple rules, then we definitely can give in the spirit of true generosity, and that's the spirit that benefits everyone equally.  The giving shouldn't come from a desire to gain from it (though it's often okay if that does happen), and it shouldn't come from a desire to make someone else owe something back to us.  True generosity genuinely fulfills needs, and it comes from a place of simply wanting to fulfill those needs.

I would love to be rich-- I can think of tons of ways that I could benefit others if I were wealthy.  But I'm not, and that's that.  That simple fact does not mean, though, that I can't be a genuinely generous person.  My generosity is not dependent on my wealth, but on my spirit and my heart.

Questions to consider:

Why do so many of us feel that it's important to give in high amounts if we're to be truly generous?

What kinds of needs can you fulfill in others with your current resources?

How might you go about showing the spirit of true generosity?

For further thought:

Generosity consists not of the sum given, but of the manner in which it is bestowed.

unattributed

More thoughts and ideas on generosity.

   

   

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