Principles of Success (Day 8: GENEROSITY 🎁 ) · Inspired Life, Empowered Being

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20d (edited) • $/Generativity(life's calling)

Principles of Success (Day 8: GENEROSITY 🎁 )

In the past few days we spoke about the first 7 principles of success as described in "The Rhythm of Life" by Matthew Kelly (more here : day-1-purpose; day-2-priorities; day-3-balance; day-4-discipline; day-5-growth;-day-6-faith; -day-7-relationships )Today we delve into the eighth principle: Generosity

(Just a small but important note, the term success here can be applied to many areas of life, and ultimately, it's really just about intentionally becoming the best version of yourself.)

PRINCIPLE 8: GENEROSITY

“A meaningful life is a life given away.”

Generosity is giving your time, energy, love and resources without necessarily expecting anything in return. In the book, meaningful success includes improving the lives of others and in that process it creates connection, gratitude and impact. The book talks about generosity as a way to align with life as it can keep life moving- it indicates that when giving stops (whether that's our time, attention, forgiveness, or resources) stagnation sets in.

Psychologically, generosity counteracts scarcity thinking. This is important because scarcity thinking narrows focus and increases anxiety. Studies show that giving activates reward pathways and strengthens meaning, but only when it’s freely chosen. The self determination factor matters. When generosity is driven by guilt, approval-seeking, or self-erasure, it leads to resentment and burnout. This leads to disconnection with others and oneself.

Generosity is also an act of trust. It asks the nervous system to believe there will be enough- enough time, enough energy, enough resources, etc. In this way, generosity is an embodied form of faith which is cool to think about. It loosens our grip on control and reminds us that success doesn't have to be measured by accumulation.

If success makes us emotionally or materially tense/controlling ( tight-fisted) it’s an indicator that something is out of rhythm.What flows through us is often what grows within us. :) Generosity expands the heart and giving creates a sense of purpose that no achievement typically can replace. Giving has a way of turning success outward and anchoring it in love (my favorite) rather than just having it end with the self which eventually feels empty..

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POLL: What Gets in the Way of Generosity for You?

Reflection Question: Where in your life are you holding back? Not because you can’t give, but because giving would require trust or vulnerability?

ACTION IDEAS:

-Perform one unprompted act of kindness today (and maybe forr the rest of the week)

-Volunteer or mentor in a way that aligns with your purpose

-Give praise or appreciation to someone in your circle every week

Level up challenge: The 5-Day Generosity Reset (Chat GPT helped with this)

Day 1 – Identify the Block: Notice where scarcity, resentment, or fatigue shows up.

Day 2 – Choose One Form of Giving: Time, attention, money, encouragement, or forgiveness-pick one.

Day 3 – Give Freely: Offer it without explaining, tracking, or expecting return.

Day 4 – Receive Graciously: Let someone help, thank you, or give to you without deflecting.

Day 5 – Reflect: Ask: What shifted when I allowed giving and receiving to flow again?

**May return to add another video, but I ran out of time! But I liked "leave the world better than you found it" as a principle in the Jim Rohn video and was inspired by the TedTalk. :) :)

Fear of not having enough

Exhaustion or burnout

Feeling Unappreciated

Difficulty receiving from others

Unclear boundaries

I'm practicing generous living intentionally

I always give even if those other choices (fear of not having enough, feeling unappreciated, etc) are in the back of my mind

Fear of being taken advantage of

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