YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!
Today is the day to start a movement. The power of ONE is so much more effective than some might believe. Well, those naysayers are wrong and it’s time to prove it!
Recently I wrote a post about starting a movement and I gave three “movement starting” ideas: be kinder, be more generous, and be more present. Over the next few weeks we’ll dive deeper into these topics and wrap it all up at the end with a way that you can truly make an “ocean wave” of a difference in the world.
Today let’s think about ‘being more generous.’ Take a look at this excerpt from my original post (you can read the entire post here).
Be more generous:
I know you are already giving every ounce of blood, sweat and tears, time and money too, that you can to the world. And you probably feel like you aren’t getting much of anything back in return right now.
Be more generous anyway.
You can give more time, or more money, or just more thoughtfulness in your actions….to everyone you meet and to everyone in your life who relies on you.
Remember the beautiful story of the man who was walking along on a beach as the tide was going out and saw that it was covered with starfish. He came across another man walking along the beach towards him and watched in disbelief as this man picked up each starfish that he passed and tossed it back into the ocean. ONE BY ONE. The first man asked the second man what on earth he was doing. The second man said simply that he was saving the starfish before they died. The first man chuckled, for there were well over 100 starfish just as far as they could see from where they were standing and he felt sure that the second man’s efforts were completely futile, he couldn’t possibly save them all. And so the first man said “What good does that do? You’re just wasting your time. There are 100’s of them, you can’t possibly make a difference!” The second man quietly picked up another starfish, tossed it back into the ocean, and said “I made a difference to that one.” Then he continued down the beach, slowly and methodically picking up each starfish he came to, throwing it back into the ocean.
Take care of each and every ‘starfish’ that you come across in your daily path, because you CAN make a difference.
Why should you be more generous?
Do you know someone who has lost their job, lost their home, or been forced to cut back so much that they physically appear to be ashamed of having to live frugally? This economy stinks! And all of us are impacted, if not directly, then certainly indirectly. You may have loved ones, family, friends, or neighbors who are currently in a tight situation and you just don’t know how to help them. You may have noticed that one of your favorite local restaurants or convenience stores has shut down, seemingly overnight. The roads are bumpy and all tore up – at least they are in my neck of the woods. Sales calls and collection letters are absolutely through the roof!! What does being more generous have to do with this crappy economy?
The simple of act of being more generous can do more to change the world around you than you could possibly imagine. Think about it for a moment. You see those billboards, you know the ones I’m talking about.
PAY IT FORWARD
They each have a story about someone doing something generous for another person. For no other reason than because they wanted to, it felt good to do it, they felt inspired to do more than just the “status quo.”
Think about how it made you feel the last time someone did something for you that was completely unexpected, unprovoked, and without an expectation of receiving something back in return for their generosity. I don’t know about you, but those moments, those rare and wonderful moments, almost bring tears to my eyes, they certainly choke me up. That someone would go out of their way to do something completely selfless for me, without me having to ask, without them already knowing how difficult my life was at that moment. It moves me beyond words. I imagine it moves you, too.
How wonderful would it feel to be the person who granted that much joy into the life of a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker, a random stranger in line behind you at the Starbucks drive-thru or fast food joint.
Life is very short. If you aren’t sure why I would possibly say that, read my About page.
I encourage you to be the spark you want to see in the world.
Or as Gandhi said “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Life is beautiful, life is fragile, life is wonderful, life is meant to be cherished.
Spend a moment today thinking of one thing you could do for someone else that is generous and that you can do for them without any expectation of a return action.
Then do it!
Next, tell us about it here.
What did you do?
How did it go?
Was it anonymous or did the receiver know you did it?
Were they happy?
Were you happy afterwards?
Then – do it again!
And again!
Let’s start a movement of being more generous with our actions, our thoughts, and our time and money. If you go first, others will definitely follow your actions. Then your own little world will start to feel lighter, less stressed, and happier! Ah yes, happier!
Cheers and happy generosity to you and yours!!!
Lisa