This brief article represents my humble attempt to explore the blessings of generosity. My effort would be worth it, even if it opens the eyes of one single person to the enduring, fulfilling abundance that comes from giving.
Just imagine that we live in a kinder and gentler world, where people seek to understand rather than to be understood, show sensitivity to other people’s feelings, routinely engage in acts of kindness , and strive to make this world a better place for everyone.
We are constantly torn between the pull of reality and the push towards ever rising expectations. The art of living often revolves around how to manage this eternal conflict. Our well-being depends on our capacity to achieve a proper balance between these two opposing forces.
Positive psychology researchers have made great strides in recent years, especially in happiness studies, yet “contentment” remains a misunderstood phenomenon and an under-valued virtue. All the available scientific tools seem to come short, when we try to understand its true nature.
How wonderful and pleasant life would be, if people could live together in peace! When peace reigns, everything seems possible. With all the resources and creative energies channeled into peacetime projects, we could turn weapons of mass destruction into machines for food production.
Everyone aspires to be somebody, and no one wants to be a nobody. From the depth of our souls, there is a persistent cry for personal significance. This universal search for meaning manifests itself in a variety of ways, from self-seeking to self-sacrifice.
Community is a good thing. Who does not yearn for love and belonging? Who is immune to the existential anxiety of separation and alienation? Who can survive long as an island onto oneself?
A healthy dosage of spirituality and meaning at the workplace is good for business, because it improves morale and productivity. This view is gaining currency among management consultants, human resources professionals and mainstream business schools.
Happiness, how sweet the sound! It’s an inalienable right, a worthy life goal, and the yearning of every soul, yet oftentimes it leads to pain and ruin. Like moths flinging themselves into a flaming fire, many have ruined their lives in hot pursuit of happiness.
Any discourse on the transcendental life is likely to conjure up the image of a Zen Master on a misty mountain top or a Trappist Monk in a remote desert retreat. A widely held notion is that only the esoteric mystics, who have given up earthly affairs in their single-minded spiritual pursuit, can ever realize self-transcendence.