There are two energies in the world--extending and withdrawing. Either we are extending our (positive) energy by giving, creating, loving, and growing, or we are withdrawing our energy, our essence, through self-centeredness, fear, and inadequacy. Every day, we are in a constant dance of energy. Some days we feel great--we smile at other people, offer goodwill and advice, and help where we can. Other days we don’t have the same energy, the same good feelings, and it is hard for us to come out of our self-focused “poor me” attitude.

I will let you in on a little secret of the ages. If you want to have richness (financial and emotional) in your life beyond your wildest dreams, practice the habit of Generosity. True generosity--giving to others without expecting anything in return--is the ultimate energy-expander. When you give simply because doing so is part of your nature, you are extending your positive energy into the world. When you do this, your own internal energy--your personal feelings of well-being, happiness, and love--will grow even more. The more you spend of your positive energy, the more you will receive in return. You will receive stronger relationships, more financial prosperity, more joy and health, more satisfaction in your work, more love in your life.

The Habit of Generosity is a habit you can develop and practice on a daily basis. Just like going to the gym, brushing your teeth, or going to work--you create habits out of everyday activities. Habits can be good or bad, productive or unproductive (smoking, eating fried foods, swearing), but Generosity--giving to others from your heart--is one of the best and most positive habits you can have.

Here are some practical tips for developing the Habit of Generosity:

*HAVE A GENEROSITY WEEK: During the next 7 days, focus on giving fully of yourself to others--not just money, but time, energy, advice, love, attention, and that rare, special gift, listening with full heart. When you practice giving outwardly to loved ones and even strangers, visualize your positive energy (think of it like color, green or yellow, etc.), as it expands outward--shining a ray of loving light energy to the people you are directing your generosity to. When you do this, you will notice that your previous feelings of frustration, anger, regret, and deprivation will vanish, and in their place, you will experience newfound joy, peace, and satisfaction.

*PRACTICE REVERSE GIVING--THE REVERSE BIRTHDAY: On your birthday, you expect to receive gifts. On your next birthday, why not do the opposite, and give gifts to your loved ones on your birthday? This way, you receive the greatest gift of all: the feeling of gratitude for all of the love and friendship you have received from those closest to you. Reverse giving banishes our self-centered need to receive, and expands our mind to focus on giving love and goodwill. Remember: When we want to receive gifts from others (whether interest, attention, or love), we are often afraid that we won’t get the gift we want in exactly the way we want it. Thus, we live in anxiety and fear. On the other hand, THERE IS NO FEAR IN GIVING. When we give from our inner core, we win--regardless of whether someone accepts our gift or not. When we give with true generosity, our job is simply to give; that is all. When we give, we extend our loving energy outward, and at the same time, we replenish our own store of power and love. It is a law of nature: What goes out must also come in.

*BE AN EVERYDAY SANTA CLAUS--Don’t just wait for one day a year to be giving and loving, i.e. on Christmas. Consider Christmas to be a daily holiday in which you give kindness and goodwill to others. Do you remember the thrill of opening new gifts as a child on Christmas? Now, you can experience the Christmas spirit of giving every single day of your life. Give freely of yourself every day, and it will seem like Christmas is every day.

Yes, the secret to happiness and success is simple: When you think of Generosity as your daily habit, your thoughts, attitudes, and actions will change accordingly. Where before, you may have felt restricted, deprived, anxious, and worried because you didn’t have enough, now you will feel grateful, happy, and proud that your life is overflowing with goodness. Think of it: Who can give away the most? Those who have the most. By reversing the paradigm, you first begin by giving away all you have--in time, energy, finances, attention, love, respect, kindness--and you will see that this reversal of action will bring an abundance of those same things into your life. Your life will be increasingly rich when you live this way. As has been recorded in times of old, the promise is unalterable: “BRING THE WHOLE TITHE INTO THE STOREHOUSE, THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE.TEST ME IN THIS, AND SEE IF I WILL NOT THROW OPEN THE FLOODGATES OF HEAVEN, AND POUR OUT SO MUCH BLESSING THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO STORE IT.”