Generosity and Tipping Cups
Maybe when you saw the title, you thought about those tip cups you see on counters at coffee shops. Feel free to be generous there too. Those aren’t the cups I am writing about today though.
I am writing about the cups Ray Bradbury speaks of here:
WORD FOR THE DAY (1/7/22)
We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to
tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.
-RAY BRADBURY-
It brings to mind the ongoing debate–is my cup half full or half empty? That’s not a discussion for me to get caught up in. My approach is more like this: There is always something in my cup. Am I making good use of it for both self-care and contributions to the greater good? If there’s nothing but coffee dregs at the bottom, time for a rinse and fresh start. If the contents are spilling out over the sides, there are generous opportunities for creative contributions today.
GENEROSITY is on my mind because it is my word for the year, thanks to my friend Laurel’s random selection for me. It is the 7th year in a row that whatever word she sends sets a lovely tone for the hours, days, weeks, and months ahead.
Here is my “Habitual Gratitude” post from Jan. 7, 2020, writing about STILLNESS as my word for the year:
Musings on Stillness and Settling Jan. 7 2020
Living gratefully today, I appreciate the stillness that calls to me more and more.
STILLNESS will be my focus word this year. This is the 4th year I have received a random word for the year in the mail from my friend Laurel. Acceptance, grace, and play have come before it. I continue to grow in awareness of each of these. I am a work in progress, and I do the work.
Stillness is such a good fit for me at this time in my life. It calls to me across physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realms. It knows I will find it challenging at times, and leave me wide-eyed and open-hearted at others.
Stillness can be unsettling. Unpleasant emotions and impatience can surface. Struggles show themselves more plainly.
We have to become unsettled before we know what we need to settle.
In the stillness, trust, faith, and guidance come. Words to compose come. Rest comes. Peace is less elusive in the stillness. I gladly welcome where the word will take me, and not take me, this year. Thank you Laurel!
Little did I know what new kinds of stillness would reveal themselves in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged.
I read this post now, and it is so clear to me the generosity that stillness offers. Peace and wonder were my words the last two years. So simple. So profound. So fitting for the continued transformation in my life.
When I consider GENEROSITY, I think first of self-compassion and self-forgiveness. It has taken much time and effort for me to understand these generous endeavors. They are not selfish. They are liberating. From there, I tap more into the kindness and service that I can extend to others.
I have already applied a generous mindset in new ways to situations in these early days of 2023. It has made a difference. I look forward to where this word will take me this year, if I allow it. Thanks again Laurel!
