Generosity of Spirit
Are you truly generous? Or, do you give yourself and others “just enough”—not a scrap more? Do attempts to be frugal make you tightfisted? Where do you stand on the polarity of generosity vs. stinginess?
Fear of scarcity makes us stingy. So we scrimp through life, not only pinching pennies but also weighing how much love, enjoyment, reward, free time, pleasure, relaxation, personal space and attention to give ourselves, as if these were extras in life and not the main meal. We believe: “I couldn’t possibly give that to myself—or I’d have to really earn it by depriving myself in other ways.” Must our self-generosity be balanced by deprivation? We’re so afraid of getting carried away. Strictness with ourselves, which also affects others, reflects fear of losing control of our wants/hungers. Convinced that generosity is dangerous, we dole out life in a measured fashion that eventually becomes iron fisted.
We assume that generosity might drain our resources. Actually, it’s enlivening. A lifetime of stinginess shrinks our world, tightens the heart and fills the belly with fear-limiting all possibilities. The generous YES that is our Divinity hardens into a constipated cement block in the soul as Source’s bounty atrophies into crumbs.
Spirit is generous. There’s no end to growth opportunities—the chance to start over again and again—to regenerate—to profoundly open up and overflow with love — to fill with a passion to serve others—to learn to treasure ourselves with a commitment to have everything that life has to offer. Spirit is infinite. It demonstrates that Source is