Western culture, many people define success narrowly as money and power. In her uplifting book Thrive, Arianna Huffington argues that this leaves us sitting on a two-legged stool, which will tip over if we don’t add a third leg. She makes a passionate case, supported by science, for expanding our definition of what it means to succeed. One of her new metrics is giving: a truly rewarding life involves contributing to and caring for others. I love this message. It’s a powerful call for us to become more generous and compassionate. Unfortunately, when people answer this call, they sacrifice their own success. Burning the midnight oil for other people, they fall behind on their... posted on Apr 24 2014 (30,868 reads)

how much time you waste at the periphery, which disappears into nothingness and how much energy, which is given at the center, turns into this beautiful, surprising, something-ness, which is inviting you on and bringing all kinds of people into your life to share the adventure at the same time. I’ll finish with this piece, which is called No Path. It’s a fierce little poem because it’s about our own ultimate disappearance. But there’s, I found, a marvelous kind of generosity at the end from the revelation, you could say. One of the great dynamics at the center of the revelation about the evanescence of life, about the way that everything passes away so quickly ... posted on Jul 7 2014 (40,899 reads)

you can make the argument that capturing the experience is in fact part of it. I’ll buy that to a limited degree. 3. To find deeper connections with people and place. It takes time to fully grasp a place and its people, to push through the confusion and difference and discord that first greets us upon our arrival — all so that we may depart with greater appreciation, connection, empathy and something even stronger: care. What began as confusion ended with pure generosity. An impromptu market feast — Zugdidi, Georgia 4. To judge less, to be more open. I’d argue that simply observing and being present actually tones down the rush-to-judg... posted on May 7 2014 (16,415 reads)

process, and very grounding. Knitting is similar in that it lends itself to repetition and logical progressions. These crafts feel more wintery to me. Painting and feltmaking give you less control over the process, and are experimental and improvisational, similar to unpredictable Spring and heated Summer. Sylvia: Why should we craft? Angie: We should craft to connect: to each other, to our own souls, to the world. Crafting can bring out the highest in human beings: empathy, generosity, resourcefulness, connectedness, gentleness, peace. Crafting gives us a sense of the value of things and people; a sense of our place in the world. Most of us, for example, do not know who ... posted on May 3 2014 (15,264 reads)

of right and wrong, with all its contextual fuzziness and situational fluidity? That’s precisely what celebrated psychologist Barry Schwartz, author of the influential The Paradox of Choice, and political scientistKenneth Sharpe explore in Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing (public library) — a fascinating and necessary exploration of how to nurture and reclaim the essential moral skill at the heart of character traits like courage, compassion, loyalty, fairness, generosity, and empathy, inspired by the timeless teachings of Aristotle’s philosophy yet grounded in invaluable insights from contemporary psychology. Schwartz and Sharpe write: ... posted on Jun 13 2014 (18,040 reads)

who can emerge from their boxes and labels to become interesting, engaged colleagues and citizens. Hosting meaningful conversations isn’t about getting people to like each other or feel good. It’s about creating the means for problems to get solved, for teams to function well, for people to become energetic activists. Hosting Leaders create substantive change by relying on everyone’s creativity, commitment and generosity. They learn from firsthand experience that these qualities are present in just about everyone and in every organization. They extend sincere invitations, ask good questi... posted on Aug 28 2014 (35,343 reads)

that any good could ever come of a cadaver, a heart failure and a vehicle with a live heart in its trunk tearing through a crowded city. That it did on June 16, 2014 in Chennai, and that more than 50 people coordinated the whole thing with surreal precision to save a life, could tempt one to use words like ‘miracle’ or ‘aberration’. But in truth, it was already the city’s eighth time this year: a heart transplant made possible by someone’s supreme generosity, a government organ registry’s bureaucratic brilliance and the police’s logistical enthusiasm. A new heart to be put in a patient's cavity. Photo courtesy Dr ... posted on Aug 11 2014 (16,289 reads)

story and that people from all over the world were thinking of her and praying for her. She stopped then and started to cry. She held my hand. They are praying for me? Yes, I said. Tell them thank you she said. Tell them that I walked for the first time - 15 steps. Tell them, there will be more she said. Tell them, Thank you. *** Mia's grandmother peacefully passed this Saturday surrounded by Mia and other loved ones. If you'd like you can send Mia a note here, honoring the generosity with which she shared her grandmother's spirit and their beautiful relationship with the world. ... posted on Sep 1 2019 (50,309 reads)

has been bad, this is just another crappy part of it, traffic will be horrible.’  And yet they’re both swimming in the same pond.”  What he learned from the woman in the magic shop changed not the reality of his external circumstance—he was still poor, and he was still the one who had to take care of his parents—but his internal perception of it. “We are the ones who create our world view—not some outside event or environment.” The generosity of the woman in the magic shop unleashed a boldness in Doty.  A high school friend was applying to the University of California, Irvine, and Doty decided on the spot that he would, too... posted on Aug 22 2014 (24,322 reads)

parts in the machinery of production. After years of being bossed around, of being told they’re inferior, of power plays that destroy lives, most people are cynical and focused only on self-protection. Who wouldn’t be? This negativity and demoralization is created by the organizing and governance methods in use. People cannot be discounted or used only for someone else’s benefit. If obedience and compliance are the primary values, these destroy creativity, commitment and generosity. Whole cultures and generations have been deadened by such coercion. But people’s reaction to coercion also tells us a great deal about the goodness of the human spirit. The horror... posted on Sep 20 2014 (30,330 reads)

woman in the audience at one of his talks soon after the attack on the World Trade Center. She asked, "How can I deal with the enormous fear and anger that I feel about what happened?" Kobun replied, "Do one kind thing for someone every day." I realize that such advice might sound trite or over-simplistic. I also know that there are days when we can feel consumed by the items on our to-do lists, to the point where the volume of what needs our attention makes generosity feel beyond our reach. On other days, however, I think Kobun's advice could apply quite universally to all of us asking, "How, then, shall we live?" For me, it feels inspiring... posted on Nov 25 2014 (18,131 reads)

facial expression of compassion, characterized by oblique eyebrows and a concerned gaze. When someone shows this expression, they are then more likely to help others. My work has examined another nonverbal cue: touch. Previous research has already documented the important functions of touch. Primates such as great apes spend hours a day grooming each other, even when there are no lice in their physical environment. They use grooming to resolve conflicts, to reward each other’s generosity, and to form alliances. Human skin has special receptors that transform patterns of tactile stimulation—a mother’s caress or a friend’s pat on the back—into indelibl... posted on Nov 5 2014 (22,876 reads)

weeks ago, a few of us visited an elderly Gandhian couple in Baroda -- Arun Dada and Mira Ba. Now in their 80s, their entire life has been rooted in generosity. As students of Vinoba, they have never put a price tag on their labor. Their presence speaks to a life-long practice of equanimity, trust and compassion. And so do their stories. "Nine years ago, we were gifted this house," Arun Dada told us. The week they moved in, they discovered that their neighbor was a drunkard, prone to fits of violence. Just a couple days after their move, they noticed that their front-yard was filled with food items and alcohol. It turned out that the neighbor also ran a catering bus... posted on Nov 27 2014 (36,723 reads)

it made them feel they responded " It feels so good you just want it to keep on going. You wish you just had more and more things to offer." That is my experience as well. People are supporting my deepest happiness in allowing me into their lives This does not mean that you have to have money or anything tangible other than your human form. Each of us is endowed with our own unique qualities and each one of us, has something valuable to contribute. I have seen the greatest acts of generosity performed by folks who seemingly have little in the way of practical possessions. I have been profoundly touched by watching a homeless man gently offer to share his meal with a friend when... posted on Feb 13 2015 (36,702 reads)

lives that generate the feeling that we matter. And how do we do that? How, exactly do we pursue meaning rather than happiness? We establish our connection to something larger than ourselves; we give ourselves to others. Fortunately, happiness tends to follow meaning. Meaningful activities generate positive emotions and deepen social connections, both of which increase our satisfaction with life. Indeed, much research shows an undeniable connectionbetween happiness and generosity; the happiest people also tend to be the most altruistic. When we help others in a meaningful way, for example, we are likely to feel compassion and love. We also often feel gratitude fo... posted on Feb 5 2015 (37,002 reads)

- but carefully regulated to prevent both inflation and deflation. One can go on and on through all the interdependent systems of the body to show it is a genuine ecosophy and a clear corroboration of the Greeks’ belief that studying nature can bring wisdom to how we run our human affairs. The wisest, most ethical human ecosophy I know is Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne’s Sarvodaya movement in Sri Lanka. Founded over half a century ago on the Buddhist principles of inner peace and generosity, this equitable rural development project now involves 15,000 villages, with 5,000 of them running their own banking system and helping the others develop. Businesses, schools, orphanages, ... posted on Feb 26 2015 (22,719 reads)

feelings of gratitude and life satisfaction decreased. Further analysis revealed that materialists felt less satisfied with their lives mainly because they were experiencing less gratitude. Why are gratitude and materialism opposing forces in the mind? According to Robert Emmons, a pioneer in the study of gratitude and a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, gratitude involves acknowledging the good things in our lives—from the beauty of autumn leaves to the generosity of friends to the taste of a good meal—and recognizing the other people or forces that made them possible. Gratitude helps us savor the good in our lives rather than taking it for gra... posted on Apr 9 2015 (34,883 reads)

in the world). I’m going to focus here on resources in your mind: what I call inner strengths. These include:    *  Capabilities like mindfulness, emotional intelligence, resilience;    *  Positive emotions, such as gratitude, love, self-compassion;    *  Attitudes like openness, confidence, determination;    *  Somatic inclinations like relaxation, grit, helpfulness); and    *  Virtues like, generosity, courage, wisdom. This is the good stuff we want to have inside ourselves. Rick Hanson talks in Berkeley The Greater Good Science Center is pleased to present a day-long presentati... posted on May 20 2015 (16,565 reads)

for privileged, healthy people. And so I tracked down Brice Royer for an interview. Brice is a young, now voluntarily unemployed entrepreneur from Vancouver with stomach cancer. He not only depends on gift exchange to survive, but helps other people survive through the gift and prosthelytizes gift culture with much conviction. He recently gave a speech alongside Mayor Robertson of Vancouver on how economic inequality is bad for our health and why sharing is better. His courageous acts of generosity have sparked many others to join the gift economy movement and gained international attention. His story resonates deeply with many people because he shows that not only can you live you... posted on May 25 2015 (23,405 reads)

interpreter Chanthy and Chanthy’s husband Narith. The duo showed Kay the depths of poverty experienced in their home village. So they started sewing classes here too and taught English. But Kay realised the problems went much deeper. Soon she was fundraising to install toilets, water filters and wells. Every time she went home she and her friends would conduct shed parties, movie nights, garage sales to raise money. The funds started rolling in. Kay is continually humbled by the generosity of donors. As momentum grew Kay registered Stitches of Hope as a charity and formed a board of directors. Together with Chanthy and Narith she founded the Stitches of Hope Sewing Centre ... posted on May 17 2015 (16,143 reads)