Approximately 25 years ago (in March 2020), we did a customer/reader survey. I asked what you like to read on the blog & one of the respondents suggested a post on "living generously". What a fabulous idea and perfect for this time in history!
[The title of this post implies some kind of authority or expertise — ha! Nope, no experts here... just some thoughts on generosity from a fellow human, trying to make my way!]
Spoiler alert: Not myself!
Generosity reflects a readiness to give more of something than is necessary or expected. It is a quality that we can pursue — a goal that can motivate our actions & thoughts.
But, like other characteristics like "funny", "cool", or "fun", I don't really think "being generous" is a label we can attribute to ourselves! Only other people determine whether or not you are generous (imo).
It's easy to claim that something is important, that it is a value. But, the reality of our true priorities are revealed by how we spend our Time, Energy, Attention, & Money ("TEAM" helps me remember this!).
Generosity with time may look like:
Generosity with energy may look like:
Generosity with attention may look like:
Generosity with money may look like:
Beyond the generosity with material possessions & our priorities in time and energy, I think that what we truly need, most of all, right now, is a generosity of spirit.
We are at an unprecedented time in history. Unprecedented, of course, in our lived experiences; but, also: we've never before seen this level of extreme divisiveness in the conversations, media, politics, & overall public response to the global pandemic (among other current crises!).
There are jokes, there are opinion articles, there are memes, there are Twitter threads... and most of them are imbued with a spirit of dismissiveness.
Dismissing others, dismissing other POVs, dismissing any aspects of the topic-at-hand that are outside of the particular, argued opinion.
Sometimes, I am overwhelmed with hopelessness. How will we fight for common ground? For shared humanity? Have we forgotten nuance and complexity? How will we resist our own echo chambers?
Again, generosity is a readiness to give more of something than is necessary or expected. Culturally, what is expected is: to give no credibility to others' opinions and points of view. What is expected is: that many things we believe are self-evident and other people with divergent opinions are idiots who need to catch up. What is necessary, culturally, in dialogue, is: almost nothing. Not politeness, not listening, not decency towards other human beings.
So, in this regard, generosity can look very simple. For example, reading a comment from someone (a friend, a family member, a neighbor, a politician) that you disagree with, and not thinking the worst about them. Our internal thoughts: that is what I mean by a generosity of spirit.
Living generously will flow out of feeling & thinking with generosity. Actions will begin to flow from what is internal.
Is living generously a challenge? Is it worth it? What examples have you seen in others whom you would consider "generous"? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or email keepup@dignify.ca
The threat of technology to our humanness is no new fear (hello, Blade Runner! …actually: goodbye, you are a super boring movie 😆). But, there seems to be an acute crisis of our current cultural moment, as we relate to technology.
Here is just a fraction of writings from the past month addressing this:
With so much pain, brokenness, ugliness in the world, attention to beauty, joy, & wonder is absolutely necessary!
Beauty may not solve problems itself... A stunning photograph will not end famine or war. Banksy's graffiti art does not solve Middle eastern contested-land conflicts.
But, the restoration, hope, and inspiration that come from creativity and beauty are like gas in the tank — fuel for the drivers & changers of the world.
We don’t receive a lot of returned items, but it does happen. Of course! There is some degree of risk in shopping online, always.
Stores take different approaches to return policies, sometimes with great sophistication in how it will impact your willingness to purchase. Here's a little peek at what I've learned over the years (as a customer and also as a retailer) about return policies.
Robin Padanyi
August 04, 2020
I love this definition of “giving more than is necessary or expected” especially around giving attention and benefit of a doubt to persons you may not agree with. What a wonderful world that could be!