Generosity
What that means to different people.
Today I'd like to talk about 'Generosity'.
What does it take to be generous?
What does the word even mean?
The Oxford Dictionary online has two definitions of the word 'Generous'.
Firstly it means: giving or willing to give freely or secondly: more than is necessary, or large.
I feel that the second definition relates more to food.
Generous portions, or generous helpings.
In our business lives, the first definition fits much better.
How 'Generous' are you with your customers, clients, staff?
Do you need to be?
What about business associates?
I thought of this today, because I was thinking about a situation in which I felt the other person was not being very generous towards me.
We were both in a collective group from another country and this person was running a seminar in Australia (in my home town in fact) and was charging for tickets. There were only 3 of us in the whole of Australia involved with this overseas group and I wanted to go to the seminar to catch up with people mainly and to check it out, but wouldn’t stay long.
I had offered months before, to come and assist with back office or the front counter etc for free. This person told me that they didn't need any help and I wasn't able to come unless I purchased a ticket.
Now generally in the marketing game, almost all of the front and back of house 'staff' are people who have volunteered to work for free, just so they could be in the 'inner circle'.
You may have heard of the famous motivational speaker Tony Robbins?
His 'Unleash the Power Within' seminars typically attracted thousands of attendees.
ALL of the people at the event helping are doing it for free.
They even fly themselves to the location and pay for their own accomodation just so they can be involved! (I know sounds incredible really doesn't it).
At the time I was really upset about her attitude.
I felt that since there were 3 of us in Australia and that I would be a huge advocate for them and their involvement with this company, they were being greedy and mean by not letting me drop in.
I was thinking about this again today. It happened over five years ago, so why did it come up for me now?
Today, it made me think about generosity.
If the shoe was on the other foot, I would have wanted her to come to my seminar. I would have seen it as a relationship building activity (between us) and I would have wanted her feedback on this very first seminar I ran.
But I think she saw me as the competition.
The reality is, I was (am) no threat to her, or her business.
How do you reach out to people in our life or business?
Do you do it with a kind heart and a generous spirit?
Or do you come at it from an angle of scarcity and suspicion?
The thing for me now is that I would never recommend her or her business to anyone I know.
In the back of my mind, there will always be the thought that, when I approached you, you were not kind, so I don't really want you in my life.
Is that the right way to be?
I don't know, but it works for me.
Ultimately you need to do what is best for you and your family, business, life.
Will you do that with kindness and generosity or will you approach it in a 'Hunger Games' way.
Kill or be killed?
I need to make sure I secure my position first and then think about everyone else later?
I don't like that and I have never been like that and I never will.
But it does expose me and make me vulnerable.
Brené Brown says that "the path to wholeheartedness is paved with uncertainty".
Being generous of heart and spirit does lead sometimes to hurt and uncertainty, but ultimately I need to be able to live with myself and the decisions I make for myself, my life and my family.
What decisions are you making (or not making) that are from a place of a closed, ungenerous heart?
What can you do today that is kind and thoughtful and generous, for someone else?
I urge you to try it.
Who do you know that needs a kind word or deed done for them today?
Do something for them.
A message, a phone call, a meal for their family.
You'll be glad you did.
As we seek excellence in all we do, I want to share with you what I’m up to each week. It will keep me accountable to you, my readers and it will also help me to reflect on what I’ve done over the previous week.
➡️ This Week’s Progress
Book writing and we have had 2 guests stay and my husband arrived home after being away for 8 weeks.
➡️ This Week’s Viewing
We started watching ‘Designated Survivor’ on Netflix again. And this week is the Chelsea Flower Show and the BBC have programs on each day and evening to catch up on what has been happening here, so I am in my gardening element.
📝 - Latest Issue- Traveling Through History Newsletter
Issue 46: European Cities - Barcelona, Spain
🎙️- Tilt Your Business Podcast - This Week’s Episode
No Episode this week.
🎙️- Business on the Bloc Podcast - This Week’s Episode
EP 81: AI Unfasten Your Safety Belt
Michelle is a Writer, Marketer, Content Entrepreneur, Historian (Mst Oxon) and mother of 3 boys.
After 25 years in business and as the ‘Content Marketing Queen’ for over 13 years, she has helped countless small businesses understand and develop their content strategies and focus on a customer first approach.
On International Women’s Day in March 2024, Michelle hung up her crown so that she could be a Queen Maker to inspire and assist women over 40, rise up to be the Queens they were born to be.
At Excellence Takes Courage we will navigate together what it takes to achieve excellence, with courage.
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Well that was very interesting. 🤔