Marty's Musings from the Mat - On Giving

Giving

"Give your of your time...allow yourself to be interrupted. Give something to anyone you come in contact with, the gift might

be a compliment, or a flower. You will begin to circulate joy in

your life and in others."

"Gratefully receive gifts that life has to offer you, the gifts of

nature, sunlight, the sound of birds, or rain showers. Be open

to receiving from others, whether it be in the form of a material

gift or a compliment." Deepak Chopra

For the last three years the University of Notre Dame has been leading a study called the Science of Generosity Initiative. They found that the more generous Americans are, the more happiness, health, and purpose in life they enjoy. Generous practices actually caused enhanced personal well-being. In letting go of some of what we own, we better secure our own happiness.

For Julia Wise, age 25, the question has always been how much to keep, not how much to give away. This past year, Julia (a student and aspiring social worker) and her husband Jeff (a computer programmer), lived on $22,000 and gave $35,000 to Oxfam. How? They buy pretty much everything second hand, grow food and ride bikes instead of buses or cars. “I think it’s unacceptable that so many of the world’s people aren’t getting even their basic needs met,” Wise says. Before I spend, I think of what that money could do for someone who’s living on $2 a day...and that’s about half the people in the world.”