A thought by John C. Maxwell (2017-03-07) from his book, No Limits: Blow the CAP Off Your Capacity (p. 207). Center Street. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
We have heard over and over how important it is for us to give our money, haven’t we? But John says here that money isn’t the only way for us to give. So what are they?
He says, “These include giving people a chance, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and giving others a reason to want to work with you. An abundance person can be generous by giving others opportunities, giving them the resources and information they need to do their jobs well, giving them the credit when they are successful, and giving them grace when they make mistakes. What I’m really talking about here is generosity of spirit.”
He goes on, “Generosity is a word that comes out of the Latin word generosus, meaning of noble birth. It was associated with members of the aristocracy who, by virtue of their privileges and inherited wealth, were expected to give to others of lesser standing than themselves. All of us are in better places than someone else in life. To those people, we should be generous. And if you’re a leader, you need to understand that by virtue of your position and the privileges it brings, you should be generous toward the people you lead. I wish all leaders held themselves to this high standard, though not all do. The leaders who bring an abundance mind-set to their leadership responsibilities can increase the positive impact they make on their teams and organizations.”
He then says, “Some people worry that if they give too much of what they have, they will run short themselves. But I would say the opposite is true. The more you give, the more you get. And that just helps you to become more generous. You can see this in action when you smile at others. What happens when you do that? You usually receive a smile back. And that just makes you want to smile more. The more you help other people, the more they usually want to help others. And that motivates you to help even more. The more you love people, the more love you receive— and want to give others. That’s what I call the Abundance Paradox. The more you give, the more you have to give— and want to give.”
Yes, generosity sometimes does involve giving money but there are so many other ways to give.
John says, “Abundance people don’t run out by giving. The opposite is true. They sow into the lives of others and receive a great harvest as a result.”
Margaret and I have found that so true. We really have. So, how about you? Have you found it true?
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