Threads of Generosity

They happen in our soundscape and in our field of view all of the time. Billions of possible points of focus –and thoughts about that point- are possible in any given moment. Our reality is formed by the patterns we have regarding how and why we choose those particular bits of reality to form ‘ours.’

Granted, our health, sleep schedule, eating habits and stress levels can play a major role. But in large part, if we have a generally negative view of anything, then it’s because we have chosen to grab mostly negative pieces of those billions of possible realities.

For a person practiced in being positive, as soon as they recover their health or sleep, or if they eat, they will again return to seeking out the more positive aspects of reality. It’s like a TV screen with it’s little pixels. Some are happy experiences, some sad, some angry, some thrilling, etc. Etc. And our life is formed by which mix we choose.

That being the case, it is worthwhile to start a week with a commitment to positive awareness. We must become skilled at spotting kindness, compassion and tolerance. We can take special note of when we see those generous things and remember that they are optional.

Examples include all kinds of things, like:

• Someone holds a door for someone behind them.

• We hear a radio interview with the friend of a recently deceased celebrity and the interview begins by offering their condolences on the person’s loss.

• A church sign that features a saying designed to bring humour to our day.

• Someone letting a mistake of ours go unpunished.

• The person who designed a purse was kind enough to have really thought through a smart design that makes a woman’s life easier.

• We see someone get insulted and yet they ‘turn the other cheek’ and offer no negativity in return.

• The engineers and construction crews that ensure that the building’s we are in are safe.

• A stranger smiles at a baby they walk past.

• We see a kid who’s parent kindly took them to an ice cream shop where the child is excitedly choosing their own flavours.

• Someone buys us a beverage.

• Someone smiles at us as they walk past.

With every single one of those examples, we could be lost in thought instead of noticing the grace happening before us. We can easily be on our phones and be totally ignoring all of the kind gestures others are showing each other. We could take people or things for granted. We can be lazy with our focus.

If we forgo those drops of positivity to randomly gather our reality, then we will choose largely by habit. So if we were sad yesterday, that’s likely to lead to someone being sad today too. But.

But if we’re aware, and consciously placing our focus, we can learn to see past symbolic things. That perspective can allow us to realize that, for the things we see to take place, one person had to voluntarily choose to do something meaningful for another person (or themselves).

Without anyone asking them to, and without any apparent upside for the person done it, people expressed care for each other.

We see it all the time, but we don’t recognize it as one of the key threads in the fabric of our lives. Once we do, our sense of the world changes in very positive and motivating ways.

Consciously watching for expressions of generosity and compassion and tolerance are wisely selfish acts that lead to a life composed of more rewarding experiences.

All that being the case, I would like to conclude by thanking you for reading this. I realize you had many choices. I can only reasonably assume that your reason for reading this is because you find value in these posts, and I love the idea that I’m bringing some value to your life because I want everyone to have as rewarding a life as possible.

peace, s