On the “Art” of Being Generous

While on a trip to Hawaii, we missed our flight and were dropped off by a taxi at a tiny motel/hotel on

Kauaii. Having no car, we asked the trim young man at the desk where to go to eat dinner. After explaining that there were no restaurants nearby, he turned down our request to call a cab and handed us the keys to his well-maintained, spotless car and said he needed it back by ten that night. We were stunned. Coming from LA such behaviour was not only unexpected, but it was also almost unheard of. We ate well and returned the car to him with great thanks. In the morning we asked the same lovely man to help us call for a taxi to the airport. He got up and said he was driving us. Again surprised, in the car on the way, we asked him why he was so generous. He said he had recently been the recipient of a “good deed” and was told at the time to “pass it on.” That, he said, was what he was doing, “passing it on.” I will never forget the sense of satisfaction I felt from him that morning on the way to the airport. And the satisfaction we felt receiving his “gift.”

He was “being” generous, not just “acting” generous. There is a generosity of spirit that some people have naturally and the rest of us have to develop over time. It may be that we have been hurt when having been generous or misunderstood or we are shy and unable to reach out in that manner, no matter what we instinctively want to do.

I have a feeling that young man was very shy and was learning the art of being generous. But he was not just acting, he was living it – being it. I am sure that whoever encounters him can “feel” his generous spirit. I learned something valuable from him. While it may be true that by passing on acts of kindness, it comes back to you but more importantly, the art of “being,” of having a generous spirit, is the real key here. It emphasizes the wealth of spirit and brings self-confidence and joy.

I am always surprised when someone says I am generous. I cannot imagine any other way to be. This does not mean I am always giving or not selfish or withholding money, things or love. It is just that I have found that by “being” generous, the world has provided everything I need. If I need money or companionship, I have found it comes naturally. That does not mean that I am not sometimes lonely or worried about money, etc. It is just that I trust that what I need or want has already come through, already provided. And it comes. I believe the art of “being” generous is directly related to the abundance I have had during my life. The shadowy connection between the two is hard to pin down but it is there.

Having heard spiritual leaders emphasize “abundance” and affirmations, things I have certainly tried, I go back to a generous spirit as the source of my own affluence in relationships and wealth. The experience of meeting that young man in Hawaii epitomizes this for me. What a gift he gave us – well beyond the use of his car and the ride to the airport.