Generosity

The world can be an unforgiving teacher. We can feel like things are going smoothly and all of a sudden there’ll be a hitch in the road. It won’t be obvious, so we won’t be able to avoid it, and next thing we know we’ll be on the side of the road with a punctured tire. One of the ways I counteract obstacles in my life is by turning outwards, giving to others. It can be anything from a message of positivity, all the way to the other end of the continuum by where I offer to spend time together. This isn’t selfless a selfless thing, but it hopefully helps both people a little bit on the day.

Last night I couldn’t sleep so I ended up editing another chapter of my novel. It seemed a more productive use of time than lying in bed, ruing not being able to sleep. As I’ve mentioned before, getting to know more about the characters in the book is wonderful, and I feel like they are giving so much more to me than I ever thought fictional characters could. Staying up later than normal did have consequences: I slept in later than I otherwise would have. This was initially ok, as it was the weekend and I was able to sleep later without issue. I had even written a short to-do list the night before, simple things, but enough to give my tired mind inspiration instead of having to think it up on the spot. However, halfway through the afternoon I veered off the path – and not even because of a flat tire! I chose to pull off the road and make a costly detour. I’d prepared to be productive, had my writing program open to continue editing, a cup of tea handy, and lots of water for hydration. Then I just turned away.

The thing that brought me back, helped me refocus on the present, was my sister (whom is a flatmate) helping me reassemble the frame of my bed. She had already done plenty of other cleaning around the apartment, didn’t have to help out, but she did. It was a strong reminder of why turning inward, when I am struggling to find my worth in what I’m doing, leads further down the path towards darkness.

I don’t have any other profound analogies of generosity right now, but what I will say is look after each other. We humans are stronger together. If you run out of things that usually help, my suggestion would be to pray. You don’t have to pray to someone specific, it might just be to the universe, but just try. You can do this by speaking out loud, or maybe writing your thoughts down. Sometimes all we need is for the thoughts running through our mind to be out in the open. When they’re out in the open air we’ll be able to sift through them, discard harmful ones, and grab tightly to inspiring ones.

If you’re having a rough month, week, day, or even just a rough minute, remember to breathe. Be patient, the sun will come up tomorrow – at least for the next few billion years – so you can dive headfirst into the challenges then.

Don’t be complacent, be kind. To others and yourself. I’m here if you ever want to chat or just need to get something off your chest. Peace to you, dear friend.

Cover photo by Erik Mclean from Pexels.