GENEROSITY: the forgotten secret to a thriving life

Thoughts on the modern world, inspiration from poets and philosophers, and journaling prompts to identify your own circles of generosity.

We know that everyday acts of generosity have the power to improve the physical and mental well-being of both giver and recipient. I’ve described how our neuroendocrine and immune systems thrive when happy-hormones are circulating. And, being generous does not have to come with a price tag, it can be cost-free to offer our time, attention, or a small act of politeness, respect or kindness. Yet, probably the biggest challenge to generosity is that we live in a world shaped by huge economic inequalities that shrink our feeling of security and succeed by pitting individualism against community.