Achieving Success Through Generosity

The Western world is is dominated by selfishness. That is not a theory, but nor is it the result of a scientific study. It is just my personal observation from living 50 years in England, and from what I read and hear from others in the UK and North America. It is a world of take, rather than giving. It is a world in which, if offered something for nothing, people will think: "What are you after?"

Many want something for nothing, of course, but do not trust it when they come across it. Their reaction is to look for an ulterior motive. Yet they themselves will, more often than not, either give with an empty heart, or expect something in return, something more valuable. That is not being generous.

Generosity is giving naturally, and it is remarkably therapeutic to those of us whose giving heart has been eaten away by a selfish society for decades. For the past 5 years I have lived in the Philippines, a country where the majority of people are malnourished, and it is only through living here that I have come to recognize both the failings of Western selfishness. And I have recognized it through little gestures of some very poor people, such as offering a meal when it meant they would have to go without food that evening. That is true generosity in my mind.

Developing a generous nature can be a great benefit to an individual, and of course to those who are recipients of generosity. The article below takes a look at generosity and what it means, and what place it can play in the road to success.

Generosity As A Route To Success and Self Improvement

In a famous quote by Simone de Beauvoir, he once explained generosity as "feeling as though you lost nothing by giving everything". This is the perfect way of explaining the word generosity and how it can lead us to success in life. Generosity is a virtue which elevates us to carry out actions worthy of our kind, nature, descent or origin. Generosity is akin to heavenliness, and it is befitting of all of us, human beings, to be generous, act generously and be noble creatures.

According to the dictionary, generosity can be described as the liberality in giving or willingness to give; nobility of thought or behaviour; magnanimity. Now that we are able to understand what generosity means, let us explore how and why being generous can make our route to success that much easier.

Generosity Must Be Sincere

If you are seeking success in business, networking can be a great boost in making it to the top. Going the journey alone can be lonely. Networking will not only make your journey more enjoyable, it will make your rise to the top more satisfying and the trip faster. When you are genuinely generous to others around you, you are in effect telling others that you are not a selfish person and you are willing to help if it is within your limitations. Expect nothing in return, and they will offer their help in return when you need it the most.

It can be something as simple as connecting one person to another; Sally needs a copywriter and you know of a friend who is a freelance copywriter. You give Sally the friend’s phone number so that they can connect with each other. It can be more complex and time consuming for you as well. For example, you might hear of a friend who has been out of a job. You might give this person money to help with his rent or even offer a place to stay while they search for a new job. Either way, the act of unselfishness will be remembered.

You Will Need Help Too One Day

We cannot do everything ourselves. Even if we do have the ability to do everything ourselves, we may have to take it very slowly and we may have to struggle along the way. Different people are equipped with different skills. So, by being generous to others, you are opening the door to help when you need it.

This is not to say that you should be generous hoping that others will help you in return. Help generously and unconditionally ,and offer your assistance genuinely. No matter how hard you try to be generous, as soon as you are doing it for something in return, people will categorize you as a fake, a double-headed snake or mistake you as someone who wants something out of them.

Expect Nothing In Return When You Give

If you are expecting something in return for the favour that you have just performed for a friend, you are not being generous. Being generous is in one direction. Sure enough, if you are a generous person, giving more than you are getting back in return, you will find people rallying behind you and urging you on. This is an important part of networking and socializing that will benefit you personally.

You need to be generous to bring value to the relationship or friendship, and this can be done by supporting others in reaching their goals, rather than by focusing purely on your own. And if you generously offer your assistance to others without asking for anything in return, you will find others behind you, ready to lend a helping hand when you least expect them to.

That is the power of generosity, so why not tap into it.