The path to generosity

During this holiday season we can ask ourselves why is it so hard to be generous enough and feel good about it? Perhaps, the way that question is phrase could sound strange as it should feel good to be generous, right? 

Here's why it can sometimes be difficult. 

First we’re constantly navigating through societal pressures and expectations, as our culture often emphasizes visible displays of generosity (impressive donations, charity galas, etc.) while overlooking genuine acts of kindness. 

This can create pressure to appear generous rather than truly being so. In addition, we can sometimes feel pressured to donate or give to certain causes to maintain social status or avoid judgment. This can taint the genuine intention behind the act. 

 The most obvious barrier to giving is simply fear and insecurity as some of us are sometimes reluctant to give because they fear they may need those resources themselves in the future, especially if money was scarce when we were young. 

There are even cases when self-doubt gets in the way as we feel our contributions are insignificant and won’t make much difference. We may also worry that our efforts won't be appreciated or that we'll be criticized for our measured generosity. 

This said, it’s fair to ask how we can get better at giving and finding ways to cultivate genuine generosity by focusing on the act of giving itself, rather than the value, shifting the importance from the size of the donation to the intention behind it. 

Giving freely and without expectation is another good way to learn how to let go of the need for recognition or praise. Likewise, starting small, like doing small acts of kindness and gradually increasing our giving will train us to develop a charitable response. 

Volunteering our time is another way of giving and can be just as valuable as giving money. Finally, practicing gratitude is a good way to increase empathy and compassion, opening the door to giving. 

As we can see, plenty of actions are available to us and there’s so much opportunities to give that starting small often is the perfect way to get our feet wet...