When we look for true examples of generous minds, we are looking for those who share regularly but also share in many different areas of their life. A Generous Mind might share regularly about a hobby such as building model airplanes. They might also share their knowledge at work as a mechanic or engineer. At the same time they may be mentoring a young father or mother in areas related to parenting.
This comprehensive nature of their generosity shows that it isn’t simply in their job that they should share but that they have developed a lifestyle of sharing. This holistic discipline of sharing makes it clear that generosity is a core value that is bound to come out in anything that the person does.
For so long we have separated our activities to such an extent that we have not expected our values to permeate the various areas of our lives. But as integration and authenticity become greater and greater values, people are beginning to expect that our lives will be permeated by our values.
So how do you break down these self-imposed barriers and create a value for generosity across all areas of your life?
1. Define the values that you want to permeate your life so that you can be intentional about them. We recommend that generosity be one of them!
2. Ask yourself how these values are being demonstrated in every area of your life?
3. Define how you will measure whether those values are represented in your life.
4. Look at your life and all that you do as a single unit and see if every area is representing these things you value.
Are you willing to live comprehensively in this area of generosity and other key values in your life?