GENEROSITY

“Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.” — Khalil Gibran

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Even though magic wasn’t his passion, my father spent every Saturday morning with me at Bianco’s Magic Shop when I was a young boy. He took joy in seeing me come alive with excitement and graciously gave up his Saturdays to kindle that excitement. The generosity of his time has not been forgotten.

The generosity of his time has not been forgotten.

As social beings we have evolved to be generous by nature—whether through gifts of our time, talent, or treasure—and over the years I’ve been humbled by the generosity of countless selfless individuals. Some of the most memorable include:

• a professor who invited me into his home when I couldn’t afford to live in the college dormitories,
• complete strangers passing the hat for me at a club in Pittsburgh after being mugged just before a performance,
• Elizabeth Warren’s office taking the time to help me with an issue when no other civic leader would,
• and friends who allowed me to stay with them while I worked through a season of grief, just to name a few examples.

Generosity is necessary to function in a society where we rely on each other for survival. However, this generous nature can sometimes be overridden when a scarcity mindset inspires selfishness and greed.

And yet, when we are the recipients of generosity from others, we can’t help but become encouraged to model and pay forward that same kindness towards others in our own unique way. 

Reflection
What generosity have you received from others? And how has it inspired you to likewise become more generous with your time, talents, and treasures?