How generosity grows

“A field is empty, but if you put in the effort to grow something then you will have a garden. And that’s life. If you give something, something will come back. Give nothing, nothing will come back. To grow a flower is a miracle: it means you can grow more. Remember that a flower is not just a flower, it is the start of a whole garden.” ~Eddie Jaku, The Happiest Man on Earth

Have you ever noticed that generous people seem to have a surplus of wonderful things in their lives? In today’s quote, Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku reminds us that we reap what we sow in the field of life. The more we give, the more we get back — and even the smallest gesture can be “the start of a whole garden.”

Try this: If you need some help, drop your own burdens and offer to help somebody else. And if you want to cultivate more friendships, set aside your lonesome pride and reach out to others.

Here’s a very small but seasonal example. Last year, a woman told me that “fewer people are mailing out Christmas cards now.” She wondered why she was getting fewer cards in her mailbox annually. When I asked if she sent Christmas cards to others, she replied that she hadn’t done so for years. And there you have it.

Start small — and remember that giving doesn’t have to be expensive. ~Cindy La Ferle