Generosity isn’t just money

Last week I wrote about generosity killing mediocrity and  I wanted to add that I don’t think generosity only involves money and things.

Sharing information is also generous

Generosity also doesn’t have to be about sacrifice or ‘doing without’ on your part either. I believe it is about contributing and benefiting someone else – the focus is on who you are helping rather than on you. Obviously, the more you give, the more generous you are being but we all have to work within our own constraints.

You can be generous in many ways, even as a business. Here are some examples of non-monetary generosity:

• by giving someone your time – for example help at a working bee
• by sharing your expertise – for example I share tips in this blog and in my articles and speak at workshops and conferences
• by providing a free service – for example, I want to find a Victorian business and help them rebuild their documents after the bushfires
• giving a smile and nice messages when dealing with people – it takes little effort but can mean a lot
• arranging something, such as a fundraising event or a networking function
• sharing resources
• by promoting something. For instance, referring someone to your client’s website, linking to a charity or reviewing a book
• networking – I don’t mean just going to networking events but helping people you know connect with each other as relevant and forwarding useful/interesting things to those in your network.

With the bushfire appeal high on the minds of many Australians at the moment, thinking of ways to be generous may mean we can give more than our finances alone will allow.