generosity

One day Lily got it in her head that giving money away would be the coolest thing ever. She had me create an index card that said, “I’m going to get rich by giving away money.” She placed quarters on the edge of the card and set it out on the pavement outside our house and waited for the magic to begin. She spied on each passing person. Would they take the money? At first no one bit, but then people started to read the card, and when they realized she wanted them to have her money they started to cooperate and take the coins. Our next-door neighbor Heather asked Lily about what she was doing and Lily jubilantly explained how important it was to give money away and Heather nodded. Lily kept at it for a solid hour. She was elated! Her money was circulating out into the world. What could be better? She felt rich. She wasn’t trying to get anything. The goal was to give and see how far she could get doing that.

The next day a card came through the mail slot. In it was two dollars from Heather. The card said, “Dear Lily, Girls who give away money deserve to be rich.” This is prosperity at its best. Lily was focusing on giving rather than getting. Because of that she just focused on having fun. As a result, she got back twice as much as she gave away. She freaked out total strangers with her profound generosity. She made a connection with our neighbor. Best of all she really enjoyed the process the whole time, experimenting with giving and receiving. There are many ways to get more prosperous and one key is to realize how you already are.

Try this crazy experiment and let me know what happens when you play with giving away money. What comes back to you?