Generosity is when we are selfless by being kind and giving towards others. It is something that is done to benefit another person, but yet it also tends to increase our own well-being as well. This is so because generosity sparks a chain reaction due to the fact that when we are generous towards someone else they tend to be generous towards us as well, as such, our brain has a chemical reaction that takes place in the section that is responsible for the sense of pleasure, social connection, and trust and we feel very good as a result. Similarly, when others see you being generous they tend to be more generous themselves, and it sparks a chain reaction this way as well. Even by doing simple acts such as saying thank you or holding the door open, you can help to further this chain reaction making the world a happier, nicer place overall.

It is key to note that in order for us to become generous people we must work on ourselves in other areas of our character as well. It has been found that in order to be the most generous people we can be, we must work on our positive thinking skills. When you think about it, it makes complete sense. Generosity is about giving and we are more likely to be giving when we are positive. As such, experiencing and practicing positive emotions such as happiness, gratitude, love, and so forth will make us more prone to being generous. In addition to this, the happier it makes us feel to be generous and giving towards someone, the higher the chance that we will partake in this act in the future as well. The level of happiness we feel when we give actually corresponds with how grateful we are because with more gratefulness comes more pleasure from seeing others being happy with our gifts. In order for us to be generous, it is also important to remember that essentially it is in our instinct to be kind, but we often try to override that with our thoughts. We have become a self-centered society as a whole and it is often easy for people to start thinking that they would rather spend the money on themselves rather than being generous with it for someone else’s pleasure, but remember that in the end, we will feel happier if we give to others.

Now that you see how important and wonderful it is to be generous you may begin to wonder how you can implement generosity into your life. Luckily it doesn’t have to be extravagant and can start with the little things. You can surprise people with little gifts or even random acts of kindness, you can pay for the person behind you at the drive-thru, you can leave a pleasant note for someone you know, etc. As you might start to notice, acts of generosity overlap with acts of kindness, and this is very much so true. To learn more about how kindness impacts our lives you can click here.

Overall, generosity is a very rewarding and impactful part of our lives. Make sure to focus on making a positive impact on other people’s lives and you will lead a happier, more rewarding lifestyle.