Jaw-Dropping Generosity
/What would you do if you had a net worth of $5 billion?
This past weekend, billionaire Robert F. Smith gave about $10 million of his money away. Just like that. No strings attached.
He surprised the graduating class of Morehouse College in Georgia by paying off all of their student loans.
Watch the faces of the faculty behind him, who had no idea of his plan…
“As hard as each of you has worked to achieve what you all have achieved today, you’ve had a lot of help along the way....pay this forward.”
He has given freedom to those young graduates, but more importantly, he spoke of living a life of giving.
We can handle this news two ways. The wrong way, and the right way.
Don’t go the wrong way:
Don’t let yourself feel jealous.
Don’t fall into a ‘poor me’ mindset.
Don’t complain that you never get any good breaks.
Don’t whine that if only you had $5 billion, you’d be generous, too.
All of us, every day, must live with generosity and compassion.
How?
Give away 10% of each paycheck. Yikes! Really??? Yes. Find your favorite charity or church and make this automatic. Or start at 5% or even 1%, getting in the habit of sharing your hard-earned cash.
Give your time. Read a storybook with a toddler. Call your mother. Volunteer at the little league snack bar. Mentor a new coworker.
Use your talents. Can you organize? Write? Cook? Counsel? Drive? Sing?
Smile and look around you. Open the door for someone with their arms full. Share a snack with a coworker who forgot their lunch. Chat with someone who seems lonely.
Your one act of generosity and compassion toward an individual could reach and touch others who you could never have imagined!
“No matter what happens in life. be good to people”