Generosity Makes Us Great

Two Opinions on Uncovering Our Greatness

This is a monthly column on becoming a great human being and has two opinions on the subject from western and eastern part of the world namely Michael Thallium from Spain and Dr Amit Nagpal from India.

Michael Thallium, Spain

I would say my dear Indian counterpart Dr Amit Nagpal is quite generous, that is what I feel since we started collaborating and writing this series of articles on how to become a great human being. However, my award for generosity goes to my parents. I think all of us have someone in our lives who has been generous to us, and experiencing that can lead you to being generous towards other people. So, generosity is something you can learn the same way you can learn the opposite, too.

The Latin word generosus means “of noble birth, noble, excellent in kind, of superior quality.” Generosus was related to the verb genero, which means, “to beget, produce, bring to life, generate. So, generosity is the quality of being generous, that is, of being kind, understanding and not selfish. Following the Wikipedia, “Generosity is the habit of giving without expecting anything in return. It can involve offering time, assets or talents to aid someone in need.”

Almost 800 years ago, in his question CXVII Of Liberality, Thomas Aquinas talked about the concepts of generosity and liberality. The liberality is to distribute goods generously without expecting any reward. This word is etymologically related to other words such as liberal, liberty and the old term largesse (largess in American English). This last word, largesse, means being “generous” materially speaking.

The difference between generosity and liberality is similar to the one between the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’. You are generous by putting decorum (who you are) before usefulness and interest. In other words, you can be liberal when you share your material goods  (what you have) with others.

The spirit of generosity makes us great. We can all program our giving, either what we have or who we are. Kindness is free and we all can start by giving good service to others. Of course, if we are not narrow minded, if we are not “stingy”, in other words, if we think abundantly, we can put our generosity into practice, moment by moment. And here empathy plays an important role. By having empathy we can create more opportunities and be more active listeners, stop judging others and start giving the benefit of doubt to people. Many years ago, I learnt from Stephen R. Covey about the win/win mentality. Yes, let everyone win! Share information! Give your time! The first person you have to be generous with is... Yourself! And remember, when you synergise or work with others, share the credit!

Researching on the internet, I recently came across Anese Cavanaugh (whose work you can check out at leadingwithbootson.com). She believes that “generosity is an accelerator for someone already buzzing high, and a quick funk buster for someone moving slowly. When things are tough, getting folks involved in the spirit of generosity will help amp them up in a positive way.”

I started by saying that Dr Amit Nagpal is a generous person. You can see the result of his generosity in his recently published book “The 7 Joys of Life”, where I had the honor to collaborate.

Think of the question: “Who are you being generous with today?”

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Brief Profile
Michael Thallium is a Global and Greatness Coach based in Spain. Michael has spent many years of his life traveling around many countries and continents, sailing the seas and flying the skies all over the world. Since 2008 he is dedicated to his passions namely coaching, language & communication and music. To know more, visit:-
http://www.michaelthallium.com/en/

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 Dr Amit Nagpal, India

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. “

Kahlil Gibran

The word ‘generosity’ reminds me immediately of my paternal grandfather. I would observe his generosity, day in and day out, as a child. He was certainly a role model and a strong influence on me. Sometimes he would make me wonder, “Does abundance make us generous or does generosity invite abundance in our lives? Or is it a virtuous cycle.” The most important lesson he taught me was to donate without a desire for fame/credit. He reminds me of the Bible quote, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.” The more purity we have in our generosity, the more aligned we are to the abundance of the Universe.

My Grandfather-My Hero Forever

Generosity does not mean being generous with money only. We can give our time, energy and share our gifts passionately and generously. But whatever we give (even if it is little), should be with pure intentions, not to get something out of it in return. We can also be generous with gratitude, encouragement and appreciation for others.

 I strongly believe, “Generally we tend to be passionate when we talk about ourselves and lack passion when talking about others. It needs to be the other way round. We should talk passionately about others and humbly about self.” It is not a lesson we are going to learn overnight, but as long as we are genuinely trying and making conscious efforts, it is good enough.

It is important that one continuously and consciously grows as a person and casts the shadow of inner abundance outside. More than attracting what we think, we attract in our lives, what we are. The sooner we learn this crucial lesson, the more we can grow. A good daily prayer can be:-

“I am unconditional love and I attract unconditional love.

I am immense positivity and I attract immense positivity.

I am abundance and I attract abundance in

every sphere from everywhere.”

Generosity is something to aspire for throughout our lives. I had once posted on Facebook, “When you become a little more mindful, you become a little more soulful. When you become a little more soulful, you become a little more mindful. Little by little, the journey must go on.”

Enlarge, Excel and Evolve!!! I keep repeating my 3E approach to personal branding and my conscience keeps questioning me, "Are you walking the talk? Have you Enlarged, Excelled and Evolved today? Have you become a little less selfish and little more giving?” And the questions and answers continues every day.

But when it comes to words, I prefer to be a miser and rather avoid being generous. J

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Brief Profile

Dr Amit Nagpal is a Personal Branding Consultant & Deepest Passion Coach. He is based in New Delhi, India and specializes in personal branding with a holistic touch. His philosophy is, "Enlarge as a Human Being, Excel as a Social Media Being and Evolve as a Personal Brand"