Where is your line?

Like many I have encountered along the way, the question of how much is enough has become a common thread of conversations pertaining to stewardship, philanthropy, tithing and generosity.

My recent trip to the Q conference in LA provided helpful insight. If the goal is to learn to not live in excess of generosity, then determining the line of "enough" is necessary.

I really appreciated the challenge presented by Jeff Shinabarger, Founder of GiftCardGiver.com: "Is generosity possible in an age of self?"

In a culture that successfully convinces us that we always need to have more, it is important for us to learn to shed the excess of our lives. Imagine the continuum of suffering, enough and excess. We can more easily assess the difference between want and need when we realize that “want” is anything greater than enough, and “need” those things that reduce our suffering and bring us closer to the line of enough.

When we choose to live with less, we stop living in excess of generosity and we stop the cycle of want more, spend more, get more.

Experience matters more than acquiring.

A really lovely experience just two weeks ago; listening to a younger man express gratefulness for how blessed he is. In contrast to a culture of entitlement, this experience stands out as one of the top fund raising stories of the past 7 years. After completing medical school, residency and landing in a spot just right for him, he chooses to impact the lives of others similar to him before acquiring the new home and starting the family. Not sure who had greater joy that day; the giver or the listener?