“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” - Mother Teresa
A generous person is not required to give all their possessions away. A generous person is also not required to allow others to push them around. Being generous involves firstly, the readiness to give or being willing to give more than is required.

Being generous takes kindness to the next level. You might be kind at heart, and often think about helping others, but unless you take the time to actually get the ball rolling in offering your time, energy or other resources for the benefit of another individual, you have not truly mastered the art of being generous. Generosity moves us to give of ourselves willingly and expect nothing in return.

I know you would be wondering how giving away your assets can help you live a better life. The truth is that many often regard generosity as one of the keys to being truly happy in this miserable world. In fact, many medical practitioners will attest to the fact that being generous is also very good for your health. Here are some of the proven benefits of giving generously:
• Reduced stress
• Lessening the likelihood of suffering from depression
• Increased sense of purpose
• Greater happiness
• Stronger families and marriages
• Less clutter
• Reduced risk of dementia
• Greater appreciation for all that you have
• More likely to benefit from the generosity of others

A generous person often seeks out opportunities to do good for others. Just think about volunteers who make their way to help at Soup Kitchens every weekend. Those of us brave enough to sign up for the Peace Corps are also considered quite generous. But simply helping an elderly lady with her grocery bags or stopping to allow a child to cross the road, can be considered generous. This kind of concern for others proves beneficial because it forces us to focus on the needs of others instead of on our own problems. Anything that minimizes the effect of our problems, whether in our relationships or even financially, will have a direct effect on our health. Being generous protects us from all the cynicism and narcissism that makes it so hard to navigate our way through this world.

I would, however, encourage you to be cautious as you endeavour to be more generous. Be very careful of the way in which you demonstrate your generosity. Please be especially careful when being generous to members of the opposite sex. If you are already taken, and you don’t want to send the wrong impression, avoid gifts or favours that are personal in nature. A personal gift is anything related to one’s body, perfume, for example, would be considered a personal gift.

Please also bear in mind that your own safety may come into play when being generous. Many people have gotten robbed when asked by a seemingly homeless person to give some money. Reaching into your wallet or bag, and revealing where your cash is kept, and how much cash you have, is a bad idea, no matter how needy the person may appear to be. A safer option would be to let the person know that you will return with a gift.

I would strongly suggest that you go to a secure location, one that is away from prying eyes, and package everything that you would like to donate to this individual in advance. My final word of caution is that you need to feel out the person before being too generous. Some people like spontaneity and others prefer if you first ask them if they need your help. Even the best of intentions can put you in awkward situations if they are not executed correctly.

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