Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Generosity!

The word from my heart pocket is Generosity.

The most generous people I know give when something is truly needed. These people look beyond the surface and into the lives of others. Their generosity isn't because of their religion or their upbringing or their sense of duty.

True generosity happens when there is a connection between the giver and the receiver. They may never meet and the connection will live for always. 

Generosity can be easy or hard, simple or complicated, fulfilling or not.

To be generous is to see a need and fulfill it. As the giver, we sometimes get to enjoy a good feeling when we act through generosity. sometimes we don't. As the receiver, we are sometimes gracious and sometimes we are not.

Generosity doesn't care. It has no emotions. The act of giving and receiving when there is need is one of the most beautiful exchanges in all of human nature. It is natural within us and when we exercise this talent, we are fully human.

We are moved to give when we hear of a tragedy. We receive graciously when our lives are at stake. Money that wasn't in our pockets 10 minutes before miraculously appears when we are touched by the misery of others. We find time and energy and offer our skills for no expected return. Generosity is always present, wrapped and ready to give.

There is also a gift that comes with bestowing real generosity. A person can try to manufacture it, but it only happens when a need is recognized, offered and accepted from the heart. The gift is that the gesture is recorded in the hearts of both giver and the one who receives. It is remembered and the bond between the two is deeply spiritual no matter what their individual beliefs. The gift sometimes gets the chance to be reciprocated - to the original giver or by "paying it forward". There might be a lesson learned or an opportunity created. The moment the gift moves from one life into another's, it is sacred and pure and the imprint it makes cannot be erased.

Small courtesies in our daily lives can be absolute gifts of generosity. A simple "I'm sorry" spoken from the heart might be enormously hard to give. That's because it matters so much. That's because love is present and in need. Sometimes we can offer what is easy to give and make a huge difference in the life of someone afraid to ask for help. Sometimes we have to sacrifice when we choose to give. Anytime we give with a pure intention, it is returned when we least expect it.

Generosity is never silent but it does come in the form of refrain, by not rescuing or enabling, choosing behavior that allows others to grow. This is when generosity is the hardest because its nature is outward and free. There are times when the most generous gift is one of silence. Don't be afraid. It is working louder than you could ever imagine.

Look inside your heart pocket to find your generosity. It's grinning at you. It wants to ride on your shoulder today. It wants to see through your eyes and work through your hands. It is playful and even if it's just Generosity's smile that greets those you meet, it is where the opportunity to give begins.