We desire to help people, but when an opportunity to help presents itself, we turn it down so we can be available to help someone.

Wow. Just wow. He was right. I deflected his gift. I robbed him of the opportunity to be generous with me. I was prideful and selfish. I have no idea why I did it, but I immediately caught myself.

Creativity is the most powerful weapon in our toolbelt. It's the tool that unlocks doors and unveils new opportunities. Creativity can (and should) be integrated into all aspects of our lives, giving included.

These are the two ingredients necessary for true generosity: sacrifice and joy. It's NEVER about how much you have to give, but your willingness to sacrificially and joyfully give from whatever you have. That's it. It's that simple. 

We can all gripe about how selfish people are today, making some definitive statement about how the world is continually worsening. Examples are all around us, and it takes very little effort to spot and call out greediness. In fact, if you're looking for it, you'll find 100+ examples today alone.

All we have is what we have, and that’s what we’re called to give from.

Last month, I wrote a piece about listening to nudges in our generosity. In it, I used the example of leaving a large cash tip on a DoorDash order, mentioning that I typically try to tip cash to ensure the person receives the entire tip. Remember that?

Tipping has developed a bad reputation over the last few years; some of it deserved. It seems like everyone, eyes wide with envy, is chasing the almighty tip dollars. Everyone is asking for tips these days! People are burned out, and in many ways, I don't blame them. Example: I was recently asked to tip at a self-serve kiosk with ZERO employees. Who am I tipping, the machine?!?!

I recently stole her generosity, though. It was Thanksgiving Day. We were in a grocery store picking up some ingredients for our big meal. It was Sarah, me, the boys, and our two nieces. As we stood in the checkout lane, Sarah noticed two firefighters standing in front of us. They were in full uniform, with a cart full of food. Sarah leaned over to me, "We should buy theirs to thank them for their service today."

I shouted that I had a tip for him. He turned back toward me. "Oh, thank you much," as he re-approached me. I handed him the cash. "Are you serious? You have no idea! I don't even know........thank you, thank you!"

"Accepting generosity, accepting appreciation, and accepting recognition are all related. As difficult as it can be to accept them, rejecting them can be a symptom of false humility and reminds me of one of my favorite quotes - "Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying." St. Vincent de Paul. Accept generosity, appreciation, and recognition when they're true and pure."

One of the most common misconceptions about generosity in our culture is this false and toxic notion that we must achieve xyz goals before we turn on the giving spigot. We treat the topic as though giving is something relegated to rich people. And someday, if you become rich, perhaps you might give away a tiny portion of your riches, too.