by Charles Barnard
The book of Proverbs states, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” In Second Corinthians we read this, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” In the Quran (Quran 2:272) it is written, “And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.” Buddhism teaches the virtues of giving. “Giving yields benefits in the present life and in lives to come whether or not we are aware of this fact, but when the volition is accompanied by understanding, we can greatly increase the merits earned by our gifts.”[1] Hinduism also values charity. “Hindus are advised to cultivate generosity to overcome their selfish nature and cultivate detachment and dispassion. The scriptures suggest that generosity or charitable nature leads to removal of sinful karma and thereby to self-purification.”[2] A spiritual law that seems to be taught in the major religions of the world is that generosity is the ultimate win-win scenario. The giver benefits at least as much as the recipient of the generosity. A citizenship who has a mindset of generosity then benefits that society on multiple levels. That society will prosper.
Charity is not simply about giving financially. Charities Aid Foundation publishes an annual report on generosity around the world. In their analysis they focus on financial giving, volunteering time, and helping a stranger. They calculate the scores in each area to arrive at a ranking of the most generous nations. Without discussing their methodology, it is difficult to argue against their defining categories – generous with your money, generous with your time, and generous with your kindness. A country’s rankings indicates how well their culture develops a mindset of generosity. Why a culture develops that mindset in its people is an enormous topic. Would there be any one that would argue developing a generous mindset would not be beneficial for the individual and the society as a whole?
W. Clement Stone once wrote, “Be generous! Give to those whom you love; give to those who love you; give to the fortunate; give to the unfortunate; yes – give especially to those whom you don’t want to give.”[3] A loving mindset leads to a mindset of generosity. Love is self-less. Love is kind. Those are two crucial characteristics of generosity. Be generous. What can you give?
- Give a smile
- Give appreciation
- Give thanks
- Give time, volunteer
- Give money
- Do a kind act
- Help out a stranger
- Give encouragement
- Give hope
- Give Trust
- Give your friendship
- Give your talents
…Give LOVE!
When you are generous, spiritual law says you will receive in return. I challenge you to try it. We should all be like the biblical widow who “out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” I know I need to be more generous. I am more like the wealthy in that story. I give out of my wealth, yet I have been rewarded on numerous occasions when I did give more than I could afford to charity and every time I did indeed get more in return. Why don’t I do it more? I still struggle with my faith at times. Mindset training after all is a life-long training. It requires a well structured and thought out approach, accountability partners and or a mentor or coach. It takes commitment. It takes the application of HEAT.
Imagine the possibilities of this mindset of generosity – a byproduct of a mindset of love. The training takes dedication and a long-term vision. Do you think you have what it takes to pursue a mindset of a champion?
[1] Jootla, Susan Elbaum. “The Practice of Giving.” Access to Insight, 1995, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/various/wheel367.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2021.
[2] “Generosity or Charitable Giving By Hindus.” Hinduwebsite.com, www.hinduwebsite.com/editorial/giving.asp. Accessed 6 Nov. 2021.
[3] Mandino, Og. A Treasury of Success Unlimited. New York City, Pocket Books, 1976. P 12
