6 Ways to Develop Your Naturally Generous Spirit

With one of our favorite holidays coming up, my wife and I have had generosity on our minds lately. And just the other day, we had a fascinating conversation about the meaning of a generous spirit — a conversation I just had to share with you.

We were trying to puzzle out, religious beliefs notwithstanding, just what is so polarizing about this holiday. Of those who participate in it, why do some find it to be the very meaning of joy, while others anchor it to nothing but stress and anxiety?

It’s a much bigger question than I’m going to solve in the next thousand words. But we uncovered one realization that rather knocked our stockings off, and I want to share.

What Does a Generous Spirit Entail?

A common theme of kids’ Christmas movies is the moral that it’s not a holiday of “getting,” it’s a holiday of “giving.” Of course, as we grow up, we learn to respect this lesson, but I’m not convinced that we all fully grok the meaning behind it.

To varying degrees, we shift our attention away from the childlike thrill of “what am I going to get” and toward “what is someone else going to get from me?”

It’s the start of a meaningful transition, but it doesn’t go all the way to unlocking a generous spirit. It keeps the focus of gifting occasions on the getting rather than on the giving. Sure it’s focusing on someone else’s getting rather than your own, but it’s not yet entirely focused on the giving. A truly generous spirit goes one step further.

Developing a generous spirit means setting loose your creative energy and throwing yourself entirely into the act of giving. Not just making sure that someone else receives a gift, but sharing love with them through gifting.  

That may take the form of a tangible gift, a service or gesture, or even a few kind words.

Whatever it is, it is propelled forward by a motivation to bring happiness to others. To give them a moment of joy, of delight, of feeling seen and loved. 

6 Ways to Tap into Your Generous Spirit

1. Give with Both Hands

In Japanese culture, giving (and receiving) gifts with both hands is considered proper etiquette. To do so is viewed as a sign of respect.

I’ve always loved this tradition as a metaphor and an actual practice. 

Using both hands to give someone a gift shows them that you are all the way there. At that moment, you are fully committed to the act of giving. You’re not dividing your attention. You don’t have one foot out the door. Giving is the only thing that you’re doing.

As well as a physical gesture, giving with both hands is a metaphor. It’s a powerful expression of a generous spirit. So be all the way there in your generosity. Hold nothing of yourself back. Go all in, and allow others to feel this full expression of kindness.

2. Think Selfishly About Generosity

I’m going to go ahead and guess you didn’t come to an article about generosity expecting me to tell you to be more selfish. But stick with me for a second because this is HUGE.

Being generous in a way you’re not enjoying just doesn’t bring the same spark for anybody. This is why focusing on the “getting,” even if it’s someone else’s getting, isn’t the correct answer.

Instead, try focusing entirely on the giving. Focus on yourself, on having fun, and feeling enthusiastic about putting your generous spirit into the world. This is the secret of generosity. It can bring so much joy, not just to the recipient but to the giver as well.

This embodiment of a generous spirit will shine through in the thoughts and experiences you can give to others. Selfish givers give better.

3. Measure Only in Enthusiasm

“36?! But last year, last year, I had 37!”

There will always be those who insist on measuring their gifts. Whether through quantity, size, or monetary value, people who do this will always struggle to be happy with the gifts they give OR receive.

There is no metric, no number that can define (or contain) a great gift. Nothing that can be measured makes a difference in a generous act.

The best gifts, and generous acts of any kind, can be expensive or completely free. They can be massive in scale or so small they’d be easy to miss. One carefully selected gift can make all the difference, and so can a waterfall of thoughtful little tokens.

Instead of trying to check certain boxes to make a gift appropriate or sufficient, go for enthusiasm. Go for the loudest, most full-throated expression of how much you care about this person. Put that energy into the process, and see what comes out.

4. Forget About the Rules

See if you can answer this question:

How do you view gifting occasions, like birthdays and holidays? Do you see an obligation, an event where you have to give a gift to certain people? Or do you see an opportunity, a moment in which to celebrate them through generosity?

Treating generosity as an obligation shoots the whole process in the foot. Suddenly, you’re doing a chore instead of sharing kindness and building connection.

Having a generous spirit means giving freely to others because you want to. Not because you have to or because of any expectation of reciprocity.

If you treat every gifting occasion as a helpful reminder to celebrate others (instead of a looming deadline), you’ll quickly find how much more fun you’re having with the process. Instead of anxiety, there’s room for joy. And when you feel more joy in the giving, your recipient will undoubtedly feel more joy in the receiving.

5. What You Have in Abundance, Give with Abandon

There’s an old expression, “give until it hurts.” Well, I think that’s crap. I say, give until it feels freaking great.

A generous spirit doesn’t have to mean self-sacrifice. It doesn’t have to cost you your last dollar or take 200 hours of sweat-soaked DIY effort to qualify as generous.

There are some things we can give that we all have in abundance. Of course, you’ll never run out of kind words, polite gestures, smiles, or quality time. Yet freely giving these things away to others is no less delightful or fulfilling.

Generosity does not gain value from its cost. Generous acts that come at a cost to you are one way to express loving energy to others. But there are other ways, too.

Lean in, be enthusiastic, and give what you can give. If you’re looking to bring others joy and enjoy yourself doing it, then you’re in the right place.

6. It’s the (Actual) Thought That Counts

Right up there with “’tis better to give than receive” is another expression we’ve somewhat lost the lede on. And I’m sure you know the phrase as well as I do.

Do you ever notice that people usually only say, “it’s the thought that counts,” after giving a gift into which they didn’t put much thought? Almost as a weird sort of apology?

The word “thought” in that expression doesn’t mean “I thought I had to get you something, and this is all I could come up with.” Instead, it refers to the conscious thought, the mental effort that went into your generosity.

When you hand someone a paper bag with something you picked up at the gas station on the way over and say, “Well, it’s the thought that counts,” you’re right. It is the thought that counts, and it’s clear that you put very little thought into this. You were following the rules to the bare minimum.

A generous spirit draws on actual thought and mental energy put into thinking about a specific person. What do they love? What would give them a chance to smile? Is there anything missing from their life right now, or a recurring problem you can solve for them?

That’s the type of thought that makes a difference.

It’s Time to Tap Into Your Generous Spirit

Generosity is not a trait that some people have, and others don’t.

It’s not a milestone that you reach in your life after taking a certain amount of care of yourself.

And most crucially, it’s not an obligation, something we must force ourselves to do so that others can feel some sliver of joy.

Generosity is a skill that we can all practice and eventually master. It’s a skill that brings deep, fulfilling joy to the participant and those around them. And it’s contagious.

What have you been doing lately to get in touch with your generous spirit? How will you continue to hone your skill of giving with your whole self in ways that make you feel great?

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Hey, I’m Sam. I created Smarter and Harder to explore big ideas, both old and new, about building a better life. My mission is to evolve the conversation about personal growth and have fun doing it.

4 thoughts on “6 Ways to Develop Your Naturally Generous Spirit”

  1. I enjoyed reading your article. I especially like “ focusing entirely on the giving. Focus on yourself, on having fun, and feeling enthusiastic about putting your generous spirit into the world.” I usually overthink the gifting process. Thank you for your hard work, efforts, and thoughts to influence others.

    Reply
    • Thanks for reading, Minghua! It’s a funny thing that giving, especially around specific occasions, can be a source of such stress and anxiety for many of us. It’s an opportunity to dive into the joy of giving and celebration, but sometimes the expectations and effort that surround it give way to emotional difficulty. I hope you find some success in shifting to the more positive side of the experience!

      Reply

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