VOLUME 9--GENEROSITY
July 2003
Brought to you monthly by Nancy Watters, MA, trainer, consultant, and author.
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WHAT ARE VIRTUES? Virtues are the qualities of the human spirit, such as compassion, kindness, honesty, respect and responsibility. They are building blocks of good character honored by all cultures and spiritual traditions. Learn more
IN THIS ISSUE
- Events
- Virtue of the Month--Generosity
- Zero Fights At Calgary School With Virtues Project Training
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1. EVENTS Full Calendar Registration Form Phone registration: 1-866-386-0253
"The most profound professional workshop that I have attended in years." Gillian Krantz, Educator, Abbottsford, BC about The Virtues Project
OCTOBER 24, 2003--SHAPING CHARACTER: CREATING A CULTURE OF VIRTUES IN OUR SCHOOLS-- a professional development workshop that introduces The Virtues Project to educators, administrators, counselors and parents. Victoria, BC. Learn more . . .
OCTOBER 17-19, 2003--AWAKENING THE VIRTUES WITHIN-Introduction to The Virtues Project™--a personal and professional development program at a serene retreat center, in Victoria, Canada. Experience transformative activities that inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life. Learn five skills used worldwide in classrooms, homes and workplaces to raise morally conscious children, create peaceful schools, enhance workforce integrity, and cultivate personal growth. Fulfills the prerequisite for facilitator training. Learn more . . .
About the facilitator, Nancy Watters About The Virtues Project
2. VIRTUE OF THE MONTH--GENEROSITY
Generosity—Generosity is giving and sharing. It is giving freely because you want to, not with the idea of receiving a reward or gift in return. Generosity is being aware that there is plenty for everyone. It is seeing a chance to give what you have and then giving just for the joy of giving. It is one of the best ways to show love and friendship. From The Virtues Project Educator’s Guide by Linda Kavelin Popov
Yvonne de Mello of Rio, Brazil is an inspiring example of generosity. For the past 18 years this wealthy, Sorbonne-educated woman, dubbed The saint of Rio, has been committed to saving street children from drugs, sexual abuse, starvation and murder. In Rio there are 702 shanty towns with a population of 3 million people. Yvonne was galvanized to action one night after a group of policemen shot 72 children. She now provides simple programs that restore dignity to street children. Her generosity includes material sustenance, but also the healing gifts of her love, time and talent. She says, The first thing is for them to stop accepting the horrible conditions they live in and to develop a will to struggle and to think. . . Even if they are on the street they must build a society, keep their corner clean, not bother people who walk by. She rises at 6:30 each day and makes rounds to 150 homes delivering groceries for 200 children. I don’t believe in expensive projects. These kids need simple things—love, care, and faith. I accept money towards the groceries. Women from the shanty towns help with the cooking. Yvonne tells them, I’m not here to teach you but to exchange experiences.
Yvonne has won numerous international awards, including being one of UNESCO’s nine Enlightened Women of the century, but she humbly credits the children with teaching life’s most important lessons--that materials things are ephemeral; That what’s important is having pride as a human being. And to be humble, to be generous. When I offer a starving kid a piece of candy, he or she always offers me a bite first. A small child in a shanty-town can teach you a lot of things. Learn more
Not everyone can start such an ambitious project, but everyone can practice generosity. From Yvonne's story, we can glean several important points.
- Generosity of spirit is foremost. An attitude of humble service is healing and empowering.
- Very poor people can practice the virtue of generosity. It does not depend on material means.
- Sharing our talents, intelligence, love and time are often more precious than giving money.
- We must attend to the material needs of people. But it is also important to help them learn skills to help themselves. This maintains their dignity.
- Small children practice generosity from a very early age. Notice and encourage their acts of giving.
- Generosity is a quality of the spirit that is motivated by love. It cannot be forced by requiring people to give.
- The best way to spread generosity is by our own example.
Some people find it easier to give than to receive. They may give to the point of harming themselves. Generosity, like all the virtues, must be practiced in moderation. It means that we set limits that are fair to ourselves and others. We don’t lend things to people who aren’t responsible with them, for example. And we don’t keep giving to people who take advantage of us.
For those who feel uncomfortable receiving assistance, try accepting the generosity of others with a thankful heart. Let them use that virtue. Someday you will have the opportunity to be generous and help someone else.
To practice true generosity we must be detached from the results, as this poem illustrates.
ANYWAY
From The Paradoxical Commandments
By Dr. Kent M. Keith
© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001. Used with permission.
http://www.paradoxicalcommandments.com
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Every man must decide if he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. . . Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? Martin Luther King
We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha
. . . well is it with the rich who bestow their riches on the needy and prefer them before themselves. Baha’u’llah
God loves a cheerful giver. The Bible
One of the marks of true genius is a quality of abundance. A rich, rollicking abundance, enough to give indigestion to ordinary people. Catherine Drinker Bowen
The gift which is given without thought of recompense, in the belief that it ought to be made, in a fit place, at an opportune time and to a deserving person—such a gift is Pure. The Bhagavad Gita
The more one gives, the more one has.Chinese Proverb
A cheerful giver does not count the cost of what he gives. His heart is set on pleasing and cheering him to whom the gift is given. Julian of Norwich
WAYS TO PRACTICE GENEROSITY
- Give joyfully with no strings attached
- Share material wealth with those who have less
- Give time, attention and love
- Share helpful ideas and information
- Maintain an attitude of service and humility
- Empower the needy to uplift themselves
- Let trustworthy people borrow things
- Accept the generosity of others with a thankful heart
- Be fair to yourself as well as others—maintain moderation
ACTION IDEA
Think of two times when someone was generous towards you or performed a service to help you—one time when it felt uncomfortable or embarrassing and one time that felt good. Write in your journal or discuss with others:
1) In the uncomfortable situation, what would you have liked done differently? What could you have done differently? 2) In the comfortable situation, what made it feel good? 3) What made the difference between the two situations? 4) In the future, when you are practicing generosity, how will you do it so that it is not uncomfortable for the recipient?
AFFIRMATIONS
I am generous. I share my time, talents and resources. I give freely, fully, and joyfully with no strings attached. I use my generosity of spirit to uplift others. I gratefully accept the generosity of others towards me. Sharing creates prosperity for all.
REFLECTIONS
Generosity comes easily to me when . . .
I’d like to be more generous when . . .
Today I will practice generosity by . . .
3. VIRTUE GEMS--Inspirational and humorous stories
SCHOOL FIGHTS DIMINISH TO ZERO IN HUNTINGTON HILLS, CALGARY
From an article published in the Calgary Herald, June 12, 2003.
If only feuding world leaders could take a chapter from the book of the students at Huntington Hills Elementary. . .
When I first came here a couple of years ago, I thought it was an excellent school. But we started to keep close track of the numbers and found we’d had 55 fights in that school year. We as a staff knew we could do better, principal Gord Aldridge recalls. This June, after three years of steady improvement, the school celebrated a zero-fight year.
Part of the magic came from training in The Virtues Project. Facilitator Donna Wheatcroft reports that because of the unity commitment purposefulness and enthusiasm of staff and parents they achieved a safer, more peaceful school. Gord Aldridge says, It’s been a really dramatic turnaround. Now we have students enrolled in our school from other areas and there are waiting lists for certain grades.
Success came because parents, teachers, students and administrators made a wholehearted commitment to training and implementation. Initially, the principal and the Parent Council President attended a 2-day Virtues Project workshop. Eventually all the staff participated in a full day workshop. Parents attended 3 evening workshops. Donna also spent five days in the school doing virtues activities with students and five lunch hours with the volunteer leadership group. Students introduced new students to the No fighting at Huntington Hills School policy.
When students were asked what prize they would like if they achieved a zero- fight year, they wanted the principal to shave his head. And they got their wish. Aldridge’s head became a hair-free zone at the hands of some of his delighted staff members during a school-wide celebration held on the final day of classes. Congratulations Huntington Hills! What’s next year’s prize?
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