You’re at your best when you’re generous. Generosity animates us, literally breathes life into us, fills us with hope and enthusiasm. It brings out the best in human beings. Generosity ennobles us in a world where so many things debase us, and it is wonderfully contagious.
We aren’t at our best when we are selfish and stingy. We are at our best when we are lavishing goodness on others, we are at our best when we are generous.
So, get out there and unleash the genius of generosity in your circle of influence.
Now, here is today’s generosity habit.
Catch someone doing something right. So much of our culture is focused on catching people making mistakes. This worldview destroys trust. Children thrive on positive reinforcement, but the truth is we all need positive reinforcement to thrive.
The world seems obsessed with catching people at their worst. The media and social media and politics all focus too much on the worst in people. This influences us all. The influence I see it having is that people are trapped in the shame of the worst thing they ever did. But you are more than the worst thing you’ve ever done.
Let’s catch someone doing something right today and praise them for it, whether it is fabulous service in a restaurant or a great flight attendant, a teacher that goes above and beyond or an exceptional nurse in the emergency room. Let’s delight in people doing what they do every day the best they can.
It’s time we started catching people at their best.
You’re at your best when you’re generous. So, don’t just dabble in generosity, live a life of staggering generosity. Astonish people with the boldness of your generosity.
Matthew Kelly
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