be more generous

I’m planning to do the following:

1. give a small gift (plants/flowers) to each of my 3 neighbours, this is a bit difficult since I don’t particularly like them(0/3)

2. donate 10 items to strangers (using freecycle or similar) (7/10)

3. cut the communal grass 5x (0/5)

4. remember the coal-delivery gentleman next Xtmas

5. bake some cake and take to Mrs D

6. donate the equivalent of my library fees to a street musician -the goal is to reduce my fees, so far I owe £5.80 to a musician :)

7. donate £1 to charity for every public display of irritation The goal is to conquer my temper, so far this year I had only one (yeah!) minor display of irritation (go me!) but last year I had a disaster (lost count but estimate is £59): so the total for this is £60 so far.

I’m planning to keep counting 6 and 7 until April 2011 as part of my “101 things to do in 1001 days” challenge.

Well, I um….

bought more toilet paper for the house when it’s supposed to be the job of others…

I just don’t want to be a pushover either…gotta discern when to give.

I could definately work on this one…

someone told me the excercize of writing 5 things that you give and recieve each day….

I’m gonna start doin that.

I have been an only child (so to speak in household terms) since I was three years old. My brother and sister were 12 and 15 years older than I am, so when they moved out of the house for college, all of the attention shifted upon me, making me greedy for appraisal and compliments. I realize that this has effected my everyday life and I should mind my selfishness more often and to give the people that are around me what I would have instead chosen to give myself.

Traditional Buddhism holds that meditation practice must rest on the firm foundation of virtue and ethical living. The first of the 10 paramitas, or perfections, is dana, generosity. I think if I’m serious about practicing meditation, I need to be as serious or more serious about generosity.

I don’t feel that this goal is specific enough. I think that at times, we are all entitled to be selfish and often, being selfish is a form of self preservation. I think that in order to reach the point where I want to be, I need to pinpoint what exactly it is that I’m doing wrong.

really tough…how can I achieve this…ongoing project! In a good moood, I can be but not in a bad mood. How to be stable on this.

when you don’t feel like you have very much to give. I find myself feeling rather impoverished – financially, emotionally – and I notice that it doesn’t occur to me how much other people might need to be supported a little bit, with a phone call and a show of interest and an offer of time and attention… I get self-absorbed when I feel low. It’s important to make a simple habit of reaching out and giving friends and family what I can of myself even when I’m not inspired to do so. Generosity has to be made into a routine if I’m ever going to really pull it off.

Although I am much better now than I was, thanks to my husband’s example.

I feel good when I buy myself things, but i want to feel even better getting and doing things for others. Isnt that what life is all about?

Share things with family members.