Thanks to the magic of streaming, I’m in the middle of watching all of the old ER episodes on television. One of the series’ lead characters, Dr. Mark Green (Anthony Edwards) is dying of cancer and ponders what to tell his daughter before he passes. The advice he gave: “Be generous. Be generous with your time, be generous with your love, be generous with your life.”
It is good advice for everyone, not just from fathers on their deathbed.
Generosity can take many forms, most of which involve time instead of money. I work to be generous with materials that I have developed and know many colleagues who do the same. I have benefited from the advice others have given regarding adjusting to a new city, developing a new course or navigating technology. People have been generous in sharing their insights to help me craft many dots and even leadership dots as a company. I have shared training techniques, mentored staff and tried to be generous with lessons I have learned along the way.
One of the best ways to cultivate your own gratefulness is through generosity to others. Today, pledge to do a little more giving than taking.
