The Character Principle of Generosity By watering others you will water yourself.

Generosity means of noble cause, gracious, willing and unselfish. It is a spirit or attitude which is a part of one's character. We are usually known for being generous or stingy. Generosity means giving and forgiving; it is considering others as you would want others to consider you, it is going the second mile. Generous people have an attitude of giving not only money - but time, talent, and of themselves. They are always looking for opportunities to impart into others where change can take place. They usually root for the underdog and the unfortunate because they see what a person can be, rather than what they presently are.

One of the things that has separated the United States from many other countries in the world is its large and prosperous middle class. Any nation that has the poor as a majority has not been teaching or practicing the principle of generosity as a foundation for prosperity. Generosity among us will cause us to help and develop the poor. Prosperity is a by-product of generosity.

If we only feed the poor, their numbers will increase, and finally, we will go broke trying to do good. There is a law in life “anything that is fed will keep on growing.” Our welfare system has exemplified that. A generous person or nation will have a program of teaching and training that will change attitudes and perception of life, giving hope so people can help themselves and overcome their situation.

By developing the poor, we increase the middle class. This will create jobs and they will have an income which they will spend. This creates buyers, and if this is duplicated, it will make a nation prosperous, which in turn supplies our needs. Although we will always have some poor, they should never be an unmanageable portion of our society.

1. When we are generous, we actually create our own reward. Giving of ourselves implies the highest form of generosity. We were not born just to serve ourselves. Generosity starts with the way we look at others and value their potential.
2. The hope of a society is a by-product of generosity. It is important we develop generous citizens. We should always look at the poor and see them with the potential of being workers and producers, not just consumers. It is important we don't look at poverty as a permanent condition.
3. If we understand generosity, we understand it is not just giving people a fish for a day, but we teach them how to fish, so they can feed themselves for a lifetime. A generous person thinks of and invests in the future instead of just operating in the present.

1. Look for the potential in others. Recognize what they can become. Concentrate on the best aspects of others.
2. Learn to be sensitive to other people’s needs. Develop a sense of understanding and offer hope and possibilities to elevate them.
3. Always be willing to share your knowledge, ideas and experience. Start with your family circle. Talk to your friends, office workers, and partners. Make yourself available.
4. Volunteer serving with your work and time. In every society there is a multitude of problems. Don't leave poverty to the institutions, but be committed to participating in the solutions.

Many of us relate generosity to giving some type of financial contribution or things that we don't use anymore. But true generosity is much more. It is an essential part of our character. It means we give because of who we are, not just responding to a need. It is not just giving money, but giving people vision and hope. Generosity is helping people to believe in themselves so they can overcome their circumstances.

Generous people always consider what could happen if they were to invest into the development of a person or an idea. If we are only interested in making profits, it will cause us to focus on money and neglect the value of others. Perhaps we should look at ourselves to see if we have lost the true meaning of generosity, not only as individuals, but as a nation. The principle of generosity is giving of our time, talent and resources to serve others.

If a person is stingy, they do not sow for the future. They hold onto the seed instead of releasing it, therefore they have no harvest.

1. What opportunities have you had to teach someone to fish?
2. Have you been generous with your time, talent and wealth?
3. How well do you apply this principle to your life?

Evaluate yourself from 1 to 10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Why did you give yourself this rating?
What benefits will you obtain by raising your rating?
What specific action can you put into practice to test the benefits of this principle?