Cultivating Generosity

A heart warming talk by our great friend Nipun Metha: Designing for Generosity

From the TED blurb:

“What would the world look like if we designed for generosity? Instead of assuming that people want to simply maximize self-interest, what if our institutions and organizations catered to our deeper motivations?”

A compelling TEDx talk explores this question and introduces the concept of Giftivism: the practice of radically generous acts that change the world.

The video is charged with stories of such acts, ranging from:

• the largest peaceful transfer of land in human history, to
• a pay-it-forward restaurant, to
• a 10-year-old’s unconventional birthday celebration, and
• the stunning interaction between a victim and his teenage mugger.

With clarity and insight, it details the common threads that runs through all these gift manifestations, and invites us to participate through everyday acts of kindness — in an uplifting global movement.”

And if you liked the video, also take a few moments to read Nipun’s graduation speech

Silence

You don’t have a life. You ARE life.

                                                              Eckart Tolle

The mountain top, not far from where I live. Where the Earth meets the Sky.

The place is magical but it is seldom like that nowadays – often crowded with noisy tourists. Yet, sometimes you can get it for yourself, a few friends, the sound of the wind and, when you are really lucky, eagles circling in the sky.

Self Mastery

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“There is a gap or a space between stimulus and response, and the key to both our growth and happiness is how we use that space.” ~ Stephen R. Covey

We all know the contrast that exists between what we are and what we aspire to become; between the self we know when we are alone and connected with our own soul and the self we manage to express in our daily interactions with an unruly and challenging world. All the problems we experience at a personal level, from stress to interpersonal conflict, arise from that difference.