Is it better to give or to receive? As a kid, your answer probably would have been “receive” without even giving it a second thought. But as you’ve gotten older, you may have changed your mind on this. Why is that? Because you’ve realized that the way someone’s face lights up when you’ve done something kind for them is better than anything you could ever receive for yourself. That, my friends, is the power of generosity in action.
There are certain things that tend to have a big impact on the world: acceptance, love, and leadership, just to name a few. But generosity is one of those things that not only changes the world, but changes you, as well.
Hello, confidence.
We all struggle with self-confidence at some point (even the most self-assured people in the world!). However, it turns out generosity is a key building block to instilling more confidence in yourself. And more than that, it’s been proven to be a natural repellant of self-hatred.
We tend to get so fixated on the things that we’re doing wrong that we don’t even realize what we’re doing right. But, if you turn your attention away from yourself and start focusing on bettering those around you, you’ll start to see yourself in a more positive light.
All smiles ... for everyone.
It makes sense that by giving to someone else, you make them happier. But it turns out, generosity and happiness go hand in hand, whether you’re the giver or the receiver! Researcher Milla Titova says, “Making others happy is more meaningful for people than just socializing with them or doing something to improve our own happiness. When we aim to make others happy, we feel connected to them—our relatedness needs are better met—which is important for us.”
Oftentimes, our instinct is to depend on ourselves when we’re feeling sad, mad, or frustrated. We try to come up with things to make us feel better like going for a walk or watching a movie. But, if you go back to the idea of turning your attention to helping others, you might just find your attitude improving for the better!
Pass it on.
Tag, you’re it! Studies show that kindness could spread by three degrees … from person, to person, to person. So, if you think about it, that means that each of us has the capacity to affect hundreds of people through just one moment of generosity.
An example of this would be holding the door for someone at the store. From there, that person you held the door for feels inspired to let someone cut in front of them in line at check-out. The person who got to cut in line pays that kindness forward by helping a woman put her groceries in the car. Suddenly, you have a big chain reaction of kindness that continues out into the world … all because you decided to take 2 seconds to hold a door open. Pretty cool, huh?
Let's get started.
Ready to start showing some generosity? That’s great! We all have the ability to be kinder humans. Sure, you could shower someone with big, extravagant gifts, but going out of your way to do the simple things is often just as effective:
- Say “thank you” (we could all use a reminder sometimes!).
- Write a positive review online for a local restaurant or business.
- Leave a kind comment on someone’s social media post.
- Bake cookies for your neighbor.
Smiling at a stranger, offering up a compliment … it’s the little things that matter the most. And it’s in these small moments that other people’s days get just a bit brighter. ☀️
There is so much power in generosity—more power, in fact, than most people realize. This is your sign to get out there and spread kindness today! Not only will it impact the world in a gentle, loving way, but it will positively impact you, too. ❤️
