The Tests of Generosity

THE TESTS OF GENEROSITY

Giving is a joy, no amount of taking can replace.

Generosity is a value preached by all the great religions of the world. Most of us tend to think that we are generous. In an age where so many are hungry, sick and homeless for those of us who are blessed with a lot, we should see if we are doing enough for others or not. So I decided to see if we can test this ourselves and define some tests of generosity. We can use these tests in our daily life to see how generous we are. The tests go from easy to tough.

Give – Give something to someone. An easy test. Check if in the past week you gave anything away to someone else. Money, used clothes, something someone else needed but could not find, your time for someone who asked for help. If you cant find something, then begin today and decide to give something away to someone.

Give something precious –Do you hold money dear ? Do you have a big collection of shoes or watches or books or bags, something that you have painstakingly collected and lovingly take care of? Can you give one of these things away to someone else who needs them ? How often and how much can you give away ?

Give Love and Appreciation – Can you find one person everyday to appreciate and give love to ? Can you record it somewhere to see that you are letting go of your ego and accepting and embracing others.

Give to someone you don’t like / hate – Who do you despise or hate or often disagree with ? is there a group or a community or a country or a person at work who you don’t get along with. Can you give to them something precious and valuable. Maybe you don’t like dogs or cats. Can you give them food one day and see how you feel

Give it all – The ultimate test of surrender. Can you give up all that you have accumulated including wealth, titles, position, resources and be content with yourself. Can you feel complete within without having anything outside ?

See if you can start taking the tests. Start from the top and notice how you feel. As the spirit of generosity grows in you, you will feel a deeper awakening, a deeper joy within you.

Giving is a joy, no amount of taking can replace.