The 6 Habits of Kind, Generous People

1. They are masters of the follow-up

1.1. Check-in on people. Kill people with kindness in the follow-up.

1.1.1. It doesn’t have to be something big.

1.1.2. It could be a book recommendation based on a recent conversation. Or just to simply say hello.

1.2. “I miss you.” “I saw something and thought of you.” These phrases light people up.

1.2.1. They let people know you are there for them.

1.3. Little, yet consistent acts of kindness, lead to strong, long-lasting relationships.

1.4. Being a person who follows-up is a choice.

2. They give their best ideas away for free

2.1. Kind people proactively connect people.

2.2. If generous people come across something that could help you grow their business, they share it with you.

2.3. The best relationships are always forged when two people give without expecting anything in return.

2.4. It’s hard to lose if you choose to not keep score. Generosity is the true currency of friendship.

2.5. Being a giver is a choice.

3. They are quick to forgive people

3.1. People will do things you don’t like.

3.2. Regardless, look at people as a whole instead of a single sum of their many parts.

3.3. The faster you choose to move on when things go wrong the more of an impact you’ll make in the world.

3.4. Forgiving people is a choice.

4. They ask themselves who needs them

4.1. Kind, generous people reserve time to think about the wants and needs of others. They ask themselves who needs them.

4.2. Keep your own to-do list of the things you need to do each day

4.3. But don’t forget to also keep a tally of the ways you can support other people.

4.4. Helping other people enriches our lives. It is the fastest way for each of us to feel truly successful.

4.5. Prioritizing others is a choice.

5. They treat their word as gold

5.1. They know that trust is everything.

5.2. This doesn’t mean they are pushovers and their kindness leads to their own detriment.

5.3. Kind, generous people are quicker to say no than most.

5.3.1. They take the time to identify when, where, and with whom they are best served.

5.3.2. Saying yes to everything spreads them too thin. They know they won’t be of use to anyone if they are busy all day.

5.3.3. When they do say yes, however, unless a true emergency comes up, consider their word as good as gold.

5.4. Being trustworthy is a choice.

6. They take the time to truly see others

6.1. Kind, generous people approach their interactions with an open mind to learn as much as they can about the people they meet.

6.2. They pocket their agenda for later.

6.3. Experience has taught them empathy is the key to truly being able to see.

6.4. Listen and observe before you speak. If your immediate impression isn’t a strong one, take a step back to get a better view.

6.5. Focus on learning what the people around them truly value.

6.6. Being present is a choice.