Generosity is defined by Strata Leadership as ‘Managing resources to freely give.’

Most of the time, when we think about generosity, we think of giving our finances or our time to those in need. But generosity—and freely giving—can go much deeper.

This month’s Character magazine asks a simple but powerful question: ‘What are you rich in right now?’ Maybe it’s empathy, shaped by your own pain. Maybe it’s perspective, earned through hard moments. Maybe it’s the ability to stay calm when others spiral.

The magazine also highlights generosity associated with paying attention to what’s going on around us. And I’ll be honest: I struggle with presenting this trait, because I’ve been feeling like I’m falling short in this area. Whether my reasons are good excuses or not, it’s a current struggle.

When work and life get busy, it’s easy for me to slip into focus-mode. And when I’m under stress, I can fall into the trap of putting tasks before people. I don’t want to live that way; it’s just something I’m aware of in myself.

But that’s part of why this bracelet I’m wearing means so much to me. It’s inscribed with ‘Be Still and Know that I am God Psalm 46:10’.

In 2016, my grandpa passed away just a week before our youngest son was leaving for Marines Boot Camp. It was a heavy, emotional, stressful time. The day before my grandpa’s service, I was off work but had stopped by the office for something. I dropped by Julie Stevens’ office and mentioned that I would be speaking at the service. She said, ‘Just a minute—I have something for you.’

She came back with this cuff and said, ‘I didn’t know why I bought this, but now I do.’

The gift itself was generous, but so was her awareness of the emotions I was carrying and the encouragement she offered in that moment.

Sometimes I wear this bracelet simply because it matches gold earrings, and sometimes I wear it because something deep in my soul needs the reminder.

Recently, I noticed it’s getting pretty scratched up. My first thought was, ‘I wish I’d taken better care of it.’ But then I realized: the scratches and marks actually symbolize life. We all go through stressful, stretching, difficult seasons. We get bumped, we get scraped, and sometimes we feel beaten up. But those seasons shape us. They form empathy, compassion, and understanding.

And those are the things we get to give generously to others—encouragement, presence, love, and that kind of deep compassion that only comes from lived experience.

Generosity doesn’t always look like doing more; often it looks like offering what has already been formed inside us. It’s listening longer than required. It’s giving someone space to be honest. It’s sharing encouragement freely. It’s showing up when we don’t have perfect words but we do have our presence.

So instead of asking, ‘How can I give more?’ maybe today we ask, ‘What have I already been given—and how can that become a gift to someone else?’ When we begin there, we move from emptying…to offering.”