A Guide for Giving

In my novel, CeeGee’s Gift, Mr. Tindale and CeeGee spend a lot of time talking about what it means to be gifted and CeeGee’s responsibility to give her gift. They compose a ‘Guide for Giving’ for CeeGee to follow whenever it is time for her to share a Knowing—her knowledge of the future—with kindness and generosity. Later, at Mr. Tindale’s funeral, CeeGee’s mother distills these values into the simplest terms. It is a list I find helpful in my own life. I hope it will be helpful in yours.

·     Give Your Gifts. 

·     Follow the Golden Rule. 

·     Do not Judge. 

·     Look for Silver Linings. Things that seem bad at first may turn out good in the end. 

·     If you can change your direction, you can change your whole future. 

If my gift is to write, this means I must commit to my writing as a primary force in my life, not just when I can escape from all the other busyness. I must be kind, no one should be harmed by my words, and I must be clear that I do not know everything. I should not preach as if I have divine intellect, but just tell a story respecting all the characters and their diversity. I don’t have to worry about the Silver Linings, because by nature I am always looking for these—to a fault, perhaps. And when I find myself stuck, or in a negative situation, it is my job to change. The map of the future is mine to build.

I will follow this list, as did CeeGee, Mr. Tindale and many other characters in the small town of Southport. How about you? Is this your list, or do you have your own Guide? Please share.                                      

The Three C’s: Creativity, Communication and Compassion

The banner on my JoyWrites website has three words—Creativity, Communication and Compassion. I have chosen these words over many years to define my purpose in life or, like CeeGee, I’ve learned these are the gifts I must give generously and for the benefit of others.

CREATIVITY:  For me this first meant participation in the arts—singing, dance, acting and public speaking. And most especially writing. But I think there is more to creativity than these art forms. To be a creative is to take risks, to learn new things, to walk through the open door to an uncertain future. It is to find a different answer and share it. Creativity is an expression of a deep, personal knowing. That expression leads to the next word…

COMMUNICATION:  I turn first to writing as my best form of communication, but teaching and public speaking have also been important. When I am communicating an idea effectively, I enter a zone of confidence and serenity. I have a sense that I am imparting my best truth. This is not preaching or certainty. It is sharing the best that I have with others and doing it in a way that respects them and meets them where they are. It is using language they understand and listening to what they have to say as well.

COMPASSION: While I work as a philanthropic advisor, my own giving takes the form of compassion more than cash. Caring more than charity. People tell me their stories, and I listen carefully. I can feel the emotion they express, and I think they know this. So, they tell me more. I hold these stories, connect them to others, and often build alliances between people and their stories that will be valuable to one another. The 3 C’s make a circle, one leading to the other and around again. I’d like to know your three words. What defines your purpose?

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