Given the state of the weather it was surprising any of us ventured out into the bitterly cold, dark unknown – but we did! And despite absences missed, those of us able to make it had a great night.
Radical Generosity was our subject for discussion, and we commenced that whilst imbibing the delicious Winter Southern Hemisphere Christmas banquet brought by all.
As we agreed, radical generosity is not so much a new concept, but rather something many in our communities have been participating in throughout the ages, with little thought of its title.
The giving and sharing of what we have, and others need, is not limited to things, or money. Often the most precious gift we can give to others in life, is our time; our empathy; our encouragement, and our understanding of their needs. The non-material, non-tangible things that people are so often bereft of, And in many circumstances, lives can take a radical turn, and change for the better, when one person is there for another, in their time of need.
And if that one person is you, and you are able to turn a life around for the better – there is nothing more rewarding, nor precious than that. In fact, the gift is two-fold.
If it is positively life-changing, the beneficiary receives more than the bestowal itself. Often, by resuscitating an ailing heart, it orchestrates a tie-less binding of doner and recipient that radicalizes the need to reciprocate the gift forward; perpetuating the ripple effect.
Of course, sometimes, especially when young, we travel through life at such a pace, we barely notice the generosity that has been afforded us by another, until later, looking back, we can see opportunities that someone gave us, that have led us to where we are in later life. Such is the benefit of reflection, and what I’ll call activated appreciation. But alas, this is something sadly lacking in most people’s lives today. Reflection.
Especially with the breakdown of many previous social forms - family, religious connections, and, the mentality of individualism, and ego-centric norms that have pervaded us for so long. Which is probably why, the art of radical generosity, is something some companies are introducing to their work-force. Because whereas once we might have been introduced to this way of thinking through our social norms, all too often, that is no longer the case.
So, although on first sight I viewed this merely as a new way of promoting good old-fashioned generosity, kindness, ‘do unto others as you would like to be done unto you,’ I now see it as an important re-purposing of an old message. An ancient wisdom that needs new forums. Be they workplaces, churches, on-line, or other secular social gatherings where people now congregate, and discuss ways we as a species can navigate the best way to live presently and into the future.
Unfortunately, in face-to- face social settings, we all too often don’t discuss the important, much less the moral issues that affect us all in our daily lives. They are often not considered to be safe places, where real issues can be talked about, lest we disagree. So, we tend to stick to socially accepted scripts of ‘small talk’- like the weather - although with climate change – for a while, even that was a little too provocative!
And at other end of the spectrum, we have the on-line forum, which although it can be one of the un-safest places on the planet, too many people feel secure enough in their false obscurity to express whatever views they have, regardless of damage to others.
We live in interesting times. Radical times. Where the true nature of nature itself is being revealed to us daily. Ever changing. Often so incrementally, we barely notice it. Until we do, and then it appears – radical! And, so it is with our subject of Radical Generosity. I think many of us have been slowly drifting away from generosity of spirit for a long, long time, and the moment has come on the Richter scale for a seismic shift.
A repositioning of ourselves, back to being a part of something greater than our own cubbyholes. A part of the whole. Individual, but not separate from the other parts. Each part wanting the best for all.
Like many people, I feel as if we are currently on a precipice, where along with the shifting weather perimeters, the structures of the societies we have grown up in, are ever, rapidly being re-defined. And although our societies have always evolved with time, the difference this time is that we have almost reached as far as we can go – on the wrong path.
And now we find ourselves with not only numerous challenges of correction required, at once, if we are to survive, but also – against a ticking clock. Which means that even our hearts, must shift radically, profoundly and comprehensively, if we are to live on, as we should - in harmony, with one another, nature and all other beings. So let's start today, with Radical Generosity.
Bella h.
August 2024
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