A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shop, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was so engrossed in her book, but happened to see, that the man beside her, as bold as could be grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between, which she tried to ignore, to avoid a scene.
She read, munched cookies, and watch the clock, as the gutsy 'cookie thief' diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking 'If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye!'
With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do. With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought, 'Oh brother, this guy has some nerve, and he's also rude. Why, he didn't even show any gratitude?!'
She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with a relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings in a haste and headed for the gate, refusing to look back at the 'thieving ingrate'. She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise: There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!
'If mine are here,' she moaned with despair, 'then the others were his and he tried to share!' Too late to apologise, she realised with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!
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Above is extracted from Phil Pringle's 'Keys To Financial Excellence'
I was amazed by the man's generosity the first time I read the story. But something else really came alive in me when I read it again the second time. Here's what: Right before the lady found out (when the cookies "belong" to her), she did in fact gave them away when she assumedly said "If I wasn't so nice...". Now we can say both gave their cookies away. Here comes the question: Who is the generous one?
The purpose of this entry revolves around the word, 'GIVING', and the above story illustrates 2 very different approaches on the same subject.
"Giving is an attitude before it is an action. If we have this attitude, we don't stop to calculate the cost to ourselves when a need presents itself. If we have the resources, then we find ourselves giving."
I have italicised 2 phrases which shows the stinky attitude of the lady when she was sharing. The contrast between the 2 is more apparent now isn't it? This was what blew me away. Well we can't really blame her for being mad. In fact I think I might blow myself up so much that when I let it out.. I'll blow him off the bench haha. But just look at how the man react to the situation.. both of them were in the exact same shoes!! But the man was cheerful throughout despite of the lady's unusual rudeness. It wasn't at all pleasant for the lady -who at that point thought the man was incredibly rude.
Anyway, giving is an attitude.
You are not generous if you've given it away and in your heart say, 'If I wasn't that generous, I/you would have...'
You are not forgiving if you have forgiven and in your heart say, 'If I wasn't so merciful, I/you would have...'
You are not humble if you were practicing humility in a given situation and in your heart say, 'If I wasn't that modest, I would have...' (boast about it?)
Giving is an attitude! (it's repeated I know)
Giving is forgoing/letting go (of the 'If I wasn't so...' attitude).
Giving and receiving are 2 different words of different meanings (there's no such word as "Gi-ceiving").
Having an attitude of giving means in any given situation where there's a need, you'll think of ways to meet them with whatever resources you have with you. Yep, whatever you have. It doesn't have to be money, or something valuable. It could be a talent you're gifted in that you can use to serve, words of wisdom, time, or a helping hand, a listening ear, your joy, whatever it might be! could even be a last piece of an ordinary cookie left in the bag.
Start developing the attitude of giving, it brings joy. Giving is more enjoyable than receiving. When you have something that you can give and contribute don't you feel fulfilling, that you are capable enough to be a giver than someone who only receives from others? Giving people are joyful people. Just like the "cookie thief".Labels: attitude, books, generosity, giving, mindset, Phil Pringle
---------------------------------------------------------- 12:21 AM, peace =)
JINLONG - Jay eL . 77 =)