Generosity

Generosity

  • April 14, 2014

Generosity, the practice of giving without needing to get anything in return, is considered the most basic way to find freedom from suffering…. Generosity is a way of unconditionally caring for others and, in the process, caring for yourself. As you hold yourself in the warmth of compassion, the less there is to hold on to and the more there is to freely give.
–Janetti Marotta in 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem

The Most Remarkable Achievement

The most remarkable achievement in life,
Is the size of one’s heart,
The strength of its beat,
And its capacity to live on, forever.

Hearts grow from love,
Are nurtured by a rosy disposition,
Tended with goodness and kindness,
And furthered by endless giving.

These rare and acclaimed hearts,
Are more precious than gold, jewels,
Or any worldly possession.

For when touched,
Your own heart grows,
Beats stronger,
And has the capacity
To live on…forever.

-Janetti Marotta

Mindful Noting Practice: Generosity
When you cultivate the qualities for mindful self-esteem, you plant the seed of generosity. Start by recognizing when you’re holding tightly to what you have, because it doesn’t feel as if there’s enough to go around. This may be in the form of money, time, patience, care-taking, volunteering. Notice what happens when you hold back.

Notice what happens when you freely give. How does selflessness feel different from self-centeredness? Can you feel a difference in your state of well-being or level of suffering? Do you feel a difference in connection to yourself and others?

“To understand the heart and the mind of a person,
Look not at what he has already achieved,
But at what he aspires to.”
-Kahlil Gibran

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