In this solo episode of the No Days Off podcast, host Brian Gubernick introduces generosity as the fourth core value in his series (following grit, integrity, and courage). He defines generosity as a self‑less, empathetic willingness to give without expecting anything in return, and explains how it benefits both recipients and the giver. Gubernick cites a range of well‑known generous figures—including Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Mother Teresa, Ellen DeGeneres, Fred Rogers, Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela—to illustrate the concept. He then offers a step‑by‑step guide for listeners to become more generous: practicing empathy, starting with small acts, volunteering, giving freely, cultivating gratitude, setting concrete generosity goals, leading by example (especially for children), and maintaining self‑care to sustain giving. The episode concludes with a motivational call to action, urging listeners to perform small, unconditional acts of kindness today, emphasizing the personal fulfillment that comes from generosity.
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Thank you for joining me today. It's Brian Gubernick, and welcome to the No Days Off podcast, where we believe that every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. Today we are going to cover another value word, another core value word. Now, if you've been listening to the No Days Off podcast, at least for the past few weeks, then you'll know we are on value word number 4 in a series of value words. Number 1 was grit. Number 2 was integrity. Number 3 was courage. Number 4 is generosity. Number 4 is generosity. Now, what are these core value words? These are, at least for me, the words that guide my actions guide my beliefs. It's what I stand for. It's what my family stands for. So when I say grit, integrity, courage, those first 3, you know, I, I want to demonstrate grit. I want those that are important to me that are part of my family or part of my companies to be gritty. I want to act with integrity. I want my kids and my family to act with integrity. I want those, uh, and myself, of course, to act with courage in the face of fear or in the face of challenge. Act with courage. Today we're going to talk about generosity and generosity as a virtue, one that, one that, you know, I really think quite a bit around. And I hope I'm considered a generous person. If not today, then in the future, Uh, but generosity, giving, expecting nothing in return, is a core belief of mine. And it's something I try to, to teach to my family and those that spend some time with me. Generosity is a virtue that's characterized by a willingness to give, a willingness to share, a desire to help others without expecting payment, without expecting anything in return. Generosity is about selflessness. It's about empathy. It's about a genuine concern for other people, for the wellbeing of other, other people. Generous individuals. If you're considered, you know, one that has, that's generous and has generosity, generous individuals freely offer up their time, their resources. Maybe it's support to alleviate the needs or to enhance the lives of others. Some that are generous are individuals that feel maybe sometimes uneasy about privilege, uncomfortable with rest when they know that others could use, you know, could use a hand. Now generosity shows up in a variety of different forms. Maybe it's donating money to a charity. Maybe it's volunteering time to help, you know, those in need. Maybe it's just offering emotional support to friends or strangers. Maybe it's just simply performing acts of kindness. Without looking for any sort of recognition. Generosity not only benefits those who receive, but it brings immense fulfillment. It brings satisfaction to the giver. And this fosters a sense of connection and a sense of community. Generosity is our fourth value word. It is a guiding word for us here at No Days Off. Now there's lots of I guess I would say generous people we can point to. There's of course, you know, those that have a couple bucks that have just really kind of contributed to a number of causes or maybe created their own philanthropic path. Oprah comes to mind. I mean, she's a renowned philanthropist. She's known for her generosity. She's donated millions of dollars to causes. She has her Oprah Winfrey Foundation. Um, you also have someone like Bill Gates, right? One of the wealthiest individuals in the world. But Bill's intention is to eventually be known primarily for his philanthropic efforts. So Bill and Melinda created their foundation, which focuses on global health and education and the alleviation of poverty. Buffett, you know, one of the most successful investors in history, is also known to be remarkably generous. But there's others, you know, that's about money. There's, there's of course like Mother Teresa, who was known for her selfless devotion to help the poor and the sick. I mean, I think she was pretty generous. Uh, uh, let's go with, of all people, Ellen DeGeneres, who yes, has a lot of money, but she's known for her generosity and her acts of kindness. She's always surprising individuals in need with gifts or opportunities to improve their lives. I'm not a huge Ellen fan, but I'll tell you, I always, I always read about her somewhere, not because of her show or because of her financial success, but because how giving she happens to be. Of course, you've got random people like Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers, right? Who created the Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood show, which was known for He was known for his incredible generosity with his time and his knowledge, especially towards our youth. And you know, we could continue to pivot and we— there's so many people that give expecting nothing in return. Gandhi, of course, somebody I was thinking about just recently, Nelson Mandela. I mean, he's one of the most generous individuals to ever learn or ever, ever learn, ever to live. His actions, his spirit, I mean, his forgiveness, his reconciliation, his activism, his leadership, sacrifice— these are all things he gave generously. So the question then becomes for all of us, how do we become more generous? If generosity is a core value to us, how do we in fact become more generous? And by the way, if you are a generous person, how could you take that to the next level? Here's some thoughts. Number 1, practice empathy. Work hard to understand and empathize with, with the needs and experiences of others. You've got to put yourself in someone's shoes, and that can help you foster a sense, a greater sense, I should say, of compassion and maybe generosity. Number 2, start small. You know, generosity doesn't always have to involve grand gestures. Start with small acts of kindness. In your daily life. Things as simple as holding the door for someone or giving a compliment or listening, like lending an ear to someone who needs it. These are generous things. Now, number 3, volunteer your time. Look for opportunities in your community. Give your time. Number 4, just give freely in general. Practice giving without expecting anything in return. Maybe that's donating to charity. Maybe it's leaving a bigger tip for somebody that you think, you know, might really need it. Maybe it's helping a friend with something, even though it requires sacrifice on your, on your end. Maybe it's offering skills to someone in need, like offering your skills, your abilities. Maybe it's coaching somebody up, but give selflessly and give without strings attached. Next, cultivate gratitude. Reflect on, you know, all the blessings that you have and the privileges you have in your life and cultivate a sense of gratitude. Recognize what you have and how that can inspire you to give back to others. Now, to be more tactical, I would say the next thing, number 6 on our list, set some goals around generosity. Nothing wrong with being tactical and purposeful here. Set some specific goals for yourself related to, to giving. Maybe this is giving a number of volunteer hours per month, or maybe it's donating a portion of your income, or maybe it's performing a certain number of random acts of kindness each week. I know it might sound strange to some, to some of us, but we set goals for so many other things. Why would we not set goals for the degree or for the quantity of kindness that we give? Last couple of things I'll give you. Lead by example. Be a role model for generosity in your interactions with others, especially if you're a parent. You want to raise generous kids, be generous in front of them, be generous and be, be purposeful with that. Your job is to lead and influence these kids. Make sure they're aware of your generosity, not because you seek any sort of accolade or recognition, but because you want them to understand what it means to give. Lastly, practice self-care. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, so that you have the energy and the capacity to be generous towards others. If you're not taking care of you first, physically, financially, whatever it may be, it's difficult to be generous to others. Not that you don't have the heart to do it. But it's, it's, it's a challenge to donate time or money when you don't have enough time or money for yourself. So remember that generosity is a practice and this practice can be cultivated. It can be developed over time. Start with small steps and be patient. Celebrate the progress along the way, just like you would with any other goal. Be tactical, be aware, and make a difference and make a difference. So the focusing question for you today, how can you be a bit more generous today, this week, this month, to those that know you as well as, you know, those you've yet to meet. And by the way, while you're not necessarily expecting anything in return, I can assure you, and many of you of course know this firsthand, that as you become more generous, as you do generous acts, It feels pretty damn good. It feels pretty good. So I'm going to encourage you all to do something today. And again, that's not about just money or volunteering time. It's just small acts of kindness. Just give expecting nothing in return. That's all I have for you today. The No Days Off Podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. So let's get after it. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]
