Generosity Quotes
“Blessed are those who give without remembering. And blessed are those who take without forgetting.”
-Elizabeth Bibesco
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
-John Bunyan
“Children must early learn the beauty of generosity. They are taught to give what they prize most, that they may taste the happiness of giving.”
-Charles Alexander Eastman
“Christmas Gift Suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.”
-Oren Arnold
“The only things standing between you and the compassionate, wise, and creative person you want to be are matters of choice. Your choice. No one can occupy your generosity except you.”
-Gary Zukav
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”
-Simone Weil
“Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.”
-The Dalai Lama XIV
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”-Debbie Macomber, One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity
“Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.”
-Og Mandino
“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”
– H. Jackson Brown Jr.
“There must be more to life than having everything.”
—Maurice Sendak
“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished… It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.”
—Denzel Washington
“If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart.”
—Arabic Proverb
“Generosity consists not the sum given, but the manner in which it is bestowed.”
—Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
“Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference.”
—Kathy Calvin
“For it is in giving that we receive.”
—Saint Francis of Assisi
“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
-Etienne de Grellet
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.”
-Calvin Coolidge
“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.”
-Khalil Gibran
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
-Kahlil Gibran
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
-Albert Pike
“When it comes to giving, some people stop at nothing.”
-Vernon McLellan
“It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding.”
-Kahlil Gibran
“It is the heart that does the giving; the fingers only let go.”
-Nigerian proverb
“Sustainability, ensuring the future of life on Earth, is an infinite game, the endless expression of generosity on behalf of all.”
-Paul Hawken
“You will discover that you have two hands. One is for helping yourself and the other is for helping others.”
-Audrey Hepburn
“Teach, challenge, and inspire – the enjoyment you feel from this form of giving is endless.”
– Karen Ramsey
“The heart that gives, gathers.”
—Marianne Moore
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
-Eckhart Tolle
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
—Anne Frank
“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”
-Albert Camus
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
—Maya Angelou
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
—Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
“Unless we think of others and do something for them, we miss one of the greatest sources of happiness.”
-Ray Lyman Wilbur
“Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.”
-Barbara Bush
“The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.”
-Fred Rogers
“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.”
-Albert Einstein
“Money is but one venue for generosity. Kindness is an even more valuable currency.”
-Alan Cohen
“Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.”
-Frank A. Clark
“He who gives what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.”
-Henry Taylor
“A thing is bigger for being shared.”
-Gaelic (on generosity)
“Give yourself entirely to those around you. Be generous with your blessings. A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.”
-Steve Maraboli
“The more we share the more we have.”
-Leonard Nimoy
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
-Winston Churchill
“The greatest gift one can give is thanksgiving. In giving gifts, we give what we can spare, but in giving thanks, we give ourselves.”
-Brother David Steindl-Rast
“It is a powerful practice to be generous when you are the one feeling in need.”
-Allan Lokos
“To receive everything, one must open one’s hands and give.”
– Taisen Deshimaru
“Be grateful for what you have and be ready to share it when the time comes.”
-Michelle Obama
“There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.”
—Mandy Hale
“You can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!”
—Anne Frank
“The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to them their own.”
—Benjamin Disraeli
How can you use Quotes?
- Start a discussion: Quotes can start a discussion about a character trait at the beginning of a meeting or the dinner table. You can ask questions about what it means, how they have seen the trait demonstrated in their own lives, or how they can develop it themselves.
- Provide a model: Quotes can provide a model of good character. When you read a quote from a famous person or historical figure, you show that people they admire also value the same character traits.
- Use quotes as writing/journal prompts: Ask them to write a short essay about a quote to help them think more deeply about its implications for their lives.
- Post quotes: You can post quotes where they will be seen/heard often – classroom, breakroom, lobby, dining room, email signatures, video bulletin boards, morning announcements, social media, etc.
- Read quotes aloud: You can read quotes aloud to your children during mealtimes, bedtime, or any other time you spend together.
- Make it fun: You can make it even more fun by incorporating games, activities, or crafts. Let children decorate signs with the quotes to hang in the classroom or a bedroom door. Record children saying it and post it on social media.