Giving Heart

Gratitude and generosity go hand in hand--the more we appreciate our lives, the more we want to give to others. In A Grateful Heart, M. J. Ryan provided tools for expressing thanks. In the best-selling Attitudes of Gratitude, she taught us the inner work of realizing the many blessings we take for granted. Now, in The Giving Heart, she presents her latest examination of the virtues we need to cultivate for the twenty-first century and takes a look at generosity: what creates it, what blocks it, and what the practice of generosity can bring to our lives. In a series of short, heart-felt essays, Ryan encourages us all to stop living from what she calls "the ledger sheet mentality" of obligatory gifting, and to begin giving from the overflow of a loving heart. She asks readers to consider where and how they are stingy as well as where they are meant to give, and to contemplate all the types of possible generosity, because the giving of time, energy, kind words, loving gestures, and forgiveness may ultimately matter more than any amount of money. In her down-to-earth, accessible style, Ryan takes us to the heart of what it means to truly give, and what that giving can do not only for the recipient, but for ourselves, as well. As the current economic boom brings attention to altruism and "giving back" The Giving Heart shows us how to experience joy, peace, and fulfillment when we live from a place of generosity.