Generosity is the act of voluntarily giving your time, resources, or kindness – without expecting a damn thing back for having done so.
Most of us only feel generous when we’re in a state of abundance…
- The Postmates driver mistakenly delivers a double order when you only paid for one, so you generously give the extra food to your neighbor.
- You just hit the jackpot at The Venetian in Vegas, so you decide to break off a thousand bucks for each of the four friends you came with.
- You hit a major sales target in your business or at work, so you buy your wife a new purse and decide to take your family on a nice vacation.
All of these are great things to do. But they’re obvious.
Let me share a little-known generosity “hack” with you that could completely change your life. And I’m being dead serious.
It’s great to be generous when you’re in a state of abundance…
But it’s even more important to be generous when you’re in a state of scarcity.
My experience with generosity
Around 15 years ago, when I was just getting started in the business world, I was as broke as a joke; literally on the brink of bankruptcy.
Then, one night, on my drive home, I noticed a homeless man on the side of the street.
It was a rare night in Southern California—it was raining hard, it was freezing cold, and the wind made every raindrop feel like an icicle being tossed against your face.
As I waited for the traffic light to turn green, I glanced over at the homeless man. He was sitting on a steel bench, with a shopping cart full of random belongings, wearing nothing more than a tattered t-shirt and shorts.
I noticed he was trying to wrap himself in a blanket that looked like it was made for a baby.
The guy was shivering, noticeably. I felt bad for him.
I thought about how I would’ve helped him if I had the money.
But I didn’t.
So, when the light turned green, I drove right past him and continued heading home.
As I was about to turn into my apartment complex, it hit me…
A few days earlier, I was reading about how, when you give to others, it comes back to you in buckets.
My left turn back home turned into a U-turn back to the homeless guy.
He was sitting on the same bench, shivering.
All I had was five bucks, a bottled water, and an extra hoodie in the back seat.
I came to a stop and gave him all of it.
As I handed him the stuff, I said, “Wish I could do more, man.”
He didn’t even acknowledge what I said.
Instead, he thanked me profusely for “everything” over and over again – as if I had just given him a bag of gold.
I responded with a few pleasantries and then drove off.
As I was driving back home, I noticed how incredible I felt… I didn’t have much at the time, but I had more than the homeless guy. And I actually did something to help someone who was worse off than I was.
On the outside, I was still in a state of scarcity… But on the inside, I felt abundant.
I never told anyone what I did. I just felt grateful about having done it.
I had also forgotten about the subtle motive behind my decision to help the homeless man: I wanted to get it back somehow in “buckets.” I wanted God to hook me up with a reward for helping someone.
That would’ve been nice.
But at that moment, it no longer mattered.
I felt good simply because I helped someone who needed it.
Less than two weeks later, I made my first big business deal—after a full year of struggling to make a living for myself.
And that’s when I realized what I’m about to share with you:
When you’re struggling and in a state of scarcity, go find someone who’s worse off than you, and help them somehow.
Don’t do it while secretly hoping you’ll get something in return…
Do it because helping someone in need helps you shift out of scarcity and into generosity…
Which is a gateway to abundance.
