It doesn’t matter if we call It God, Krishna, Atman, Allah, the Universal Mind, Ra, Yahweh, or even Anna or Fred - I think we’d all agree that the All- Creating Source of Everything is the most generous Being there is. Along with life itself, it offers us unending abundance in the form of air, water, lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, and all we need to sustain life. On just this one tiny planet hurtling through space, Whatever Name We Want to Call It provides the ability to feed all of us and dispose of all of our waste, which then gets used to fertilize new life - and then repeats the process over and over again.... And remember, this is only one planet in an endless Universe of heavenly bodies. Talk about benevolence!
Generosity is obviously one of the ways to be more God-like. I know that I’m inspired when I see evidence of it on the part of others. Very often it’s manifested during or following times of crisis, almost as if God gets our attention and reminds us to be more like Him when we face devastating circumstances. A tsunami diverts our aircraft carriers away from killing each other and into a zone where food and shelter are offered; an earthquake motivates us to risk our own lives to save strangers who days before were called enemies; and hurricanes bring out the best in us. Such so-called disasters lead us to the inherent God-like generosity that’s latent within all of us. However, we don’t need a crisis to remind ourselves to give - we only need to be in-Spirit to be reminded of the joy of donating our energy, time, and possessions to others.
For example, my brother Jim and my sister-in-law Marilyn are inspiring because of the time they give to our mother. Days spent going to movies and playing Scrabble are more than just entertaining activities - they’re inspiration in action because Jim and Marilyn are giving their time to lovingly be with a person who lives alone. While I’ve been blessed to be able to give to Mother financially, they’ve been blessed to give of their time.
Generous actions are always inspirational if we just spend a few seconds to notice and appreciate them. The message is that we must give whatever it is we have that will benefit others. It’s how our Creator conducts Itself - always giving and providing. When we emulate our Creator by giving, we become sources of inspiration to others.
When Oprah Winfrey visited Africa and vowed to give all that she could, including money and time, to help eradicate the poverty and disease of that continent, she inspired me and millions of others. When she said, “Now I know why I have been given so much. Now I know why,” I also began saying to myself, “Now I know why I’ve had so many financial blessings. I feel so grateful for all that has come my way that giving back seems to be the only avenue available.”
I was inspired by the generosity of a woman I’ve known for 30 years, who also came from an impoverished background, to set up a scholarship fund at my alma mater, Wayne State University. Oprah’s philanthropy inspired me, and I hope that I in turn will inspire young people to do the same with their lives. Think of the incredible good that would come if people who read this book also became inspired to give. Of course we don’t have to be wealthy to give, but we might need to remember this: If we’re not generous when it’s difficult, we won’t be generous when it’s easy.
