Completing the Cycle of Generosity this Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

I’ve been thinking lately about generosity and the sweetness it brings to life. Those who are generous – with their time, knowledge, and resources – are tapping into something essential for life to truly flourish.

How can we find a generous mindset? How can we live generosity as a value? What’s the feeling inside generous impulses and actions that makes it possible for people to find ways to be generous, regardless of their individual circumstances? And how can we celebrate generosity when it shows up?

This U.S. Thanksgiving Day, I want encourage Green Hand Reskilling supporters and participants to find creative ways to thank the people who have generously shared during the course of the year and made our lives richer through their sharing.

Stanley: Thanks again...they're doing great!

Did someone give you seeds this year? Show you how easy it is to make your own kimchi?  Maybe help you brainstorm a solution to a gardening problem?  Share a recipe that turned into a family favorite?  Weld a broken garden tool? Help you break through your hesitation in starting your first faux finish paint job somewhere in your home?

My suggestion here is to let those people know the impact they’ve had. Of course, you probably thanked them at the time, and your thanks at the time completed the cycle of giving. Thanking them again, though, completes a bigger cycle: the cycle of generosity.  Completing the cycle of generosity is as easy as being generous with your thanks. Doing so really gets to the heart of the Green Hand concept, and it’s a potent place to stand as a change agent for a more livable and resilient culture.

Photos are fun and easy to share these days: 

“Look what those sunflower seeds turned into!” 

“Here are Joey and Linda in the costumes I made after you walked me through how the sewing machine works. Thanks again!” 

“The aloe vera is alive and doing well!”

“Here’s me wearing the first scarf I knitted. Thank you for your help getting me started!”

…or you can let people know in any way that works for you.

Thanks. Giving.  It’s a profound concept, a reminder to all of us to relate to the gifts of life with thanks and gratitude. Because in the end, it’s all a gift. 

And by the way, thank you for completing the cycle of generosity.

See? it never ends!