
Being generous to others comes naturally to some, not so naturally to others. Generosityâespecially when you are also in needâis one of the most difficult traits to develop in our lives. However, itâs not impossible. And giving back is an essential component of a Bold Life. (That’s why it’s one of the Seven Pillars of a Bold Life!)
Here are seven secretsâor not-so-secret secrets anymore, since weâre putting them out there nowâthat you can think about, remember and live by. Theyâll help you practice generosity regardless of where you are financially in your life.
1. Giving makes you happierâand lights up your brain the same way chocolate does!
Based on research, there is an undeniable link between the part of the brain that is in charge of our pleasure rewards and cravings and generous giving. For instance, when you give to charity or a cause that you feel strongly about, that specific part of the brain just becomes animated in a similar way when youâre experiencing pleasure from, letâs say, eating that bar of chocolate. This response to giving is what gives you that âwarm feelingâ or â warm glowâ. So, in all actuality, being generous to others makes you feel happier. And why will you pass the opportunity to potentially be happier all the time? (Plus, think about it: Whatâs relatively the easiest to practically do every day that will always yield a favorable outcome 99% of the timeâeat chocolate, or give generously of your time or money?)
2. Humility leads to generosity.
This one may seem counterintuitive, but itâs really not. When you go beyond looking at yourself and understanding that you are where you are because of the people who love you and the opportunities and good health youâve been given to accomplish all that youâve had and acquire the wealth that you currently have (minimum wage or higher, the point is wealth is wealth), youâd stop focusing on the âIâ. Youâll begin to look at other people. And then, you realize that you have the capacityâyes, regardless of your situation in lifeâto help those in need, big or small. Humility stops you from saying âI wantâ without depriving yourself of what you need and moves you start asking, âWho can I help today?â As in the words of C.S. Lewis: âHumility is not thinking less of yourself, itâs thinking of yourself less.â
3. An attitude of gratitude leads to a generous hand.
This one is connected to the previous point. The phrase âattitude of gratitudeâ has been used time and again since⊠well, it first appeared! But now letâs take the phrase up a notch by putting out this less-often-said truth: Having a grateful outlook helps in being generous to others. When you gently âpush yourselfâ to be thankful for what you have now regardless of what you donât have yet, youâll become more outward-focused. That means you wonât have that usual selfish need to satisfy all your wants because youâre already content (and I donât mean the âIâm lazy, so Iâll be contentâ attitude). I mean that youâre so satisfied and so thankful for what you already have that you become overwhelmed to help others in their current plight. Undeniably, being generous goes hand-in-hand with being grateful for what you have.
4. Be friends with a giver, and youâll eventually be a giver, too!
You know what they say: âTwo birds of the same feather flock together.â Thatâs true, for sure. And aligned with this saying is the fact that when you surround yourself with a certain kind of person, youâll eventually find yourself picking up some of your friendâs habitsâlike giving and being generous to others. So, as you spend more time with givers, you become more and more of a giver yourself. Then you and your âgiver-friendsâ can nudge each other to being generous to others continuously. (Donât have a friend who has the habit of being generous? Itâs time to open your eyes and befriend one. In truth, youâre bound to find someone as long as you keep your eyesâand heart!âopen.)
5. Be consistent in giving, and itâll be harder to break the âgood habitâ.
The golden rule to follow here is: Give even when you âdonât feel like itâ. And once you keep the habit of generosity going for at least three weeks or 21 days (the minimum number of days you can develop a habit), and youâll certainly wonât be able to resist being generous to others. Think of it like getting into the habit of smokingâwhich I think is an icky habit in all honesty (but thatâs just me; I still love my smoker-friends)â, once youâre hooked in giving and being generous to others, you wonât easily give up that good habit. Try it for at least 21 days straight, and youâll see what I mean.
6. Developing a positive mindset helps you become more generous.
You are more apt to give to others when you have or feel those emotions brought about by a positive outlookâsuch as awe and joy. And conversely, when you give to others, youâll reap those same emotions. In other words, itâs going to be a happy, glorious cycle of positivity and generosity when you give and when you cultivate a positive mindset. So you see? You can never go wrong with being generous or becoming more generous.
7. Generosity doesnât stop with money.
Itâs as simple as that. You can be generous with your time, talents and words as well. Have a friend who badly needs a night out with her husband but canât find a decent babysitter? Call her up and offer to take care of the kids for a night. Have a colleague whoâs having trouble adjusting to the new operating system at work (of which you coincidentally find yourself an expert)? Take an hour or two of your day to help him out. Or, perhaps, you see your kid struggling with his math homework. Spare a few uplifting words, and let him know that youâre proud of him just because. Being generous to others surely doesnât stop with cash.

Being Generous to Others: A Worthwhile Practice with Lasting Impact
Now, wasnât that a short but sweet read? Hopefully, it was as good for you reading it as it was for me writing it. The practice of being generous to others is a worthwhile one. And in fact, the smallest action in fulfilling this endeavor will create a lasting impactâwhether in your lifetime or beyond.
So, before you go out there, do you remember the scene from the movie âGladiatorâ where Maximus says, âWhat we do in life echoes in eternityâ? Well, that precisely summarizes how I want to end this read on being generous to others. Just by the simplest act of applying these secrets as you pursue a life of generosity (regardless of your financial status), youâre one step farther on the path to living a bolder lifeâand to leaving a legacy that will echo in eternity.