By Dr. Sandy Islands for Conch Color
Generosity is defined as the readiness to give liberally, the freedom from meanness or smallness of mind and character, and the nobility of thought and behavior. We may find it easy to be generous with our money or time by donating to our favorite charity, leaving that extra dollar tip and even giving some spare change to that panhandler that we disdain. Let’s take a look at some deeper more challenging forms of generosity as we check ourselves along the way.
Viewing life through the lens that “All is One,” is a form of generosity beyond our tribal teachings. We challenge the programming of “how things are and how they’re supposed to be,” that we learned growing up in our families. We honor one another as equals no matter what our race, gender, sexual orientation, creed, religion or any of the ways we find to separate ourselves from all of God’s children. We can practice generosity in our creativity by sharing our gifts and talents without the fear that if we give them away, we may lose them. We start interacting consciously with others by letting go of control and expressing a sense of honor and ethics in all of our relationships. We transform our view of money from leader to servant by seeing money as a substance tied to faith. Our faith tells us that “the money always works out.” How we feel about ourselves determines our quality of life, our capacity to succeed in business, relationships and our own healing.
I love the expression, “Let go, let God.” It reminds me to embrace forgiveness. My emotional perceptions are not always accurate but when I tap into love’s Divine power, my relationships are transformed into partnerships guided by compassion, inspiration, trust and hope. At any moment I can surrender my personal will to Divine will which allows me to release all fear and transform coincidence into synchronicity. Love and fear cannot hold the same space. Breaking fear’s authority allows the sweet power of healing into our lives and empowers our sense of self. If we “seek only truth,” our healing is a matter of becoming conscious to live in the present and appreciate each day as it unfolds. Once we’ve found the truth, it’s difficult to return to a life of illusion.
As this process begins we awaken an internal voice of authority which may trigger a dark night of the soul. We may feel an absence of meaning and purpose in our lives. This deeper longing cannot be fulfilled by a raise, a promotion or a new relationship. It sparks a devotion to something greater than our minds or personalities. As we put one foot in front of the other, we always emerge into the light illuminating a new path, like the butterfly shedding the cocoon to fly. Generosity of spirit means that we open our grace bank account to share kindness in our thoughts and actions to everyone we meet. Stretching beyond our comfort zones to act in kind ways will pay off more than any monetary investment. When we selflessly share our inspiration and spirituality we are true humanitarians. When we seek union with the Divine, we are asking to have all physical, psychological and emotional illusions removed. Let’s decide now to practice generosity in our thoughts, words and actions then watch as the universe rewards us ten-fold. Pay it forward knowing that any random act of kindness will always serve us in ways we didn’t expect and can never imagine. Please write to Dr. Sandy Islands at sandyislands@hawaii.rr.com