16/02/2017
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” —Rabindranath Tagore
One of the ways you come into balance and connection with each other and life is by giving from the heart. When you give to others, whether it’s an act of kindness, generosity, or compassion, it helps you live from the heart instead of the ego.
Living from the ego is painful and exhausting. It’s like feeding a hungry monster that’s never satisfied. Ego craves, pursues, and clings to status, approval, material wealth, and control. It views the world through the eyes of fear—constantly evaluating, judging, and acting in ways that are self-centered, defensive, and protective. Ego is about getting more, which leaves little room for generosity or compassion.
In contrast, generosity requires that you open your hearts to the world and each other. You accept that in life there are challenges, and you meet these challenges with humility, patience, and compassion. This is the work of the spiritual warrior, to open your hearts and allow yourself to be vulnerable. In doing this, you open yourself fully to life, love, and relationships.
The practice of generosity also helps you let go of striving and pursuing things. When you stop striving, you begin to see, value, and respond to what’s happening in the present moment in ways that are healthy and healing. This movement from striving, to be present and open to life, is what nourishes the heart. In responding and valuing your connection to others and the world, you let go of an “you-versus-them” mentality. Your priority shifts from attaining things to appreciating what you have and being open to share with others.