The Generosity Habit: How Daily Giving Can Change Your Life and Transform the World

by Matthew Kelly

MATTHEW KELLY'S BOOKS AND IDEAS have been inspiring men, women, and children of all ages for thirty years. Now he directs our attention toward a single idea that has the power to inject our lives with limitless meaning and purpose, while at the same time transforming the world. That single generosity. The Generosity Habit is built on a simple and profound give something away every day. It doesn't need to be money or material things. It could be complimenting a stranger, teaching someone how to do something, spreading a positive message, helping someone who is in a hurry, or simply smiling at someone generously. In fact, the philosophy behind the generosity habit rests on this singular You don't need money or material possessions to live a life of staggering generosity. The book you are holding in your hands is a profound and practical invitation to go beyond the problems plaguing society and become part of the solution. Along the way, you will discover the beauty and nobility of your own humanity.

Genres: Faith, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help, Personal Development, Adult, Religion

160 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2022

About the author

Matthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.

He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.

Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.

In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"

Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and practical ideas on how to be generous

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good ways to be generous and kind. A good way to refocus your thoughts

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 bk 206. This may be one of the more important books I've read this year. Kelly divides this book into three parts. Part 1: information about how a daily action of gratitude positively affects a person's life. Part 2: Each page has one type of gratitude that can be expressed. Part 3: Pages for the reader to right their own gratitude inspirations and actions.
While reading the tips and types I realized that GoodReads is itself an expression of Gratitude - a community of people interested in the same subject was formed. It goes further in that each of us, for the time we take to write a review, is sharing what we have learned about that particular book or topic. Finally - I am thankful for the generosity my Good Reads friends have shown in sharing books that I might and in many cases do come to enjoy, books that might never have been picked up without your all's recommendations. The book is short but mighty.

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read. This feels religious in the way that it makes bold claims with no proof whatsoever. That being said, I believe most of what’s being said, or at least the sentiment behind it. This is interesting food for thought about an essay I wrote about donating my kidney. I should take another look at that. Generally, I agree that generosity is the key to happiness, but I think my biggest problem with this book is that we should be generous because it is the right thing to do, not because it makes us feel better. You should do everything in this book but there are parts of this book I loved and parts of it that I hated. Ultimately I am left with 3.5 stars rounded to 4 and feeling very uncertain about this rating.

[Katherine Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it's just good to listen to someone else's perspective in a topic you feel you have a good grasp on. They say things differently, and pull you to deeper understanding. It refreshes your commitment to the idea.

This was a refreshing fast read. Given some personal troubles this last 2 months, I needed to get out if myself to a happier place, easily, without much effort, and this was just the right read for that.

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is divided into three parts: Part 1 is "17 Perspectives on Generosity". Part 2 is "101 Creative Ways to be Generous". And Part 3 is "Insights and Reflections". The first part encourages the reader to be generous while the second part gives the reader practical, and sometimes surprising, suggestions for doing so. I did not use the third part, which is simply a nice set of lined pages on which the reader can write notes.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent food for thought about generosity and 101 inspiring ways to be generous, most without spending any money. Everyone can be generous - and everyone can benefit from more generosity in their life.

[Linz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️’s. Loved all 101 generosity ideas and loved how each one had an inspirational quote at the bottom of each page. Sometimes the quotes at the bottom got me thinking even more than the generous idea on the page!

[Olivia Meriwether · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read; practical handbook on generosity. The author gives 101 ideas on how to practice generosity, both big and small, to encourage readers to give something away each day and see how it transforms the world.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many great ways to give back!

[Beth Fahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

100 reminders of ways we can spread joy by being generous. Short and sweet.

[Carolyn O’Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

You make generosity part of your day everyday. That doesn’t mean you need money to be generous. You compliment someone, listen to someone’s story, give your time to someone or you volunteer for something. Spreading kindness not randomly but purposely. In giving generously you are increasing your own virtue in humility. It feeds you in doing things for others no matter how small. Highly Recommend!

[PJ Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and easy-to-read book that reframes generosity as something beyond giving money. Highly recommend to help change the mindset.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had seen Matthew Kelly's video series on YouTube on this topic for Best Lent Ever, I believe, but I wanted to read the book to see what else he had to say on generosity. When I saw the book free for the taking at a church, I took advantage of the opportunity to acquire a copy, since generosity is an element in which I feel I could grow. After explaining why generosity is relevant to our lives, Kelly lists 101 examples of ways to be generous, followed by pages for the reader to record his or her thoughts. Kelly definitely provided me with new ways to think of and express generosity that I hope to keep in mind going forward. I liked that most examples included a quote related to generosity, sometimes quite fitting to the example, but I wish some of the examples had more depth to their explanations. I also wish the pages in the examples section was numbered. If any pages in the book could not be numbered, I think it should have been the pages for reflection in the last part. I do not think Kelly's list of 101 ways to be generous is exhaustive, but that is ok, because there should not be limits in the ways we can be generous. This is an insightful book to read with a message the world dearly needs.

[Kerr Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generosity is a way of life that I have constantly tried to live. This book was given to me as a gift from my sister-in-law who actually almost threw it in the trash. She got in the mail was about to throw it in the trash and then she thought, "hey my brother-in-law would love this book." See me and my family try to be generous with everything that we have not just money. And if you looking for ways to be generous outside the sphere of monetary substance then this book is for you. The 101 challenges are exactly that- challenges. Stretching you to see that generosity goes beyond just handing someone money. Is about the giving of time, talents, gifts, advice, and ultimately a part of your life. The thing I love about this book is that a challenges you to go to the fullest extent you possibly can go and by doing so you gain and reap a blessing of happiness that can only come through generosity. What would the world be like if more people were more generous than selfish?

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utterly banal book - no value whatsoever, except for a good laugh. That's why I read it twice!

Here is some of the ludicrous advice:

#61 Text a different inspirational quote to the same person each day for a week.

#70 Do something heroic.

#73 Pick a book that changed your live and give ten people a copy of that book. Invite each person to let you know when they have read it, so you can go to coffee and talk about the book.

#77 Next time you are at a gathering, focus your emotional intelligence on identifying . . . the person who least wants to be there. Go out of your way to spend time with that person . . .

#79 Be selfless. Ask yourself: What is the selfish thing to do here? What is the selfless thing to do here? Choose selflessness.

#80 Examine your values. Are your values generous? How can your values be more generous?

I received this book for free, and I've shared it with several friends - so we can laugh at it together.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is a quick read with less than 125 pages, but packed a super powerful punch, and it was a fabulous read as 2021 came to a close. I love the notion of cultivating The Habit of Generosity- the author challenges the readers to “give away something every day.” And this book is not about donating thousands of dollars or purging your house of unwanted items, but rather recognizing all the small ways in which we can be generous in our daily living. This book is a short read and offers 101 unique attributes of generosity. There is also ample space in section #3 for journaling, insights and reflections. This book will be on my gift giving list when it becomes broadly available for purchase.

[Peg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read almost all of Matthew Kelly's book and really enjoyed them. This one is one of my all time favorites. He hit it out of the park on this one. It talks about how to be generous not just materially. There is many ways to help others and the format and content lays that out for you. It doesn't make any difference if you are a beginner or continue to be generous in your life it inspires you to do so. Thanks Matthew.

[Brian Claassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual I loved this book. Being generous is something so overlooked in our world today. I never realized how giving of our time, talent and treasure actually makes us happy!! Reflecting back this is true. I’m at my happiest when I’m performing acts of generosity.

This book is full of insight into generosity and way more than just giving our money and our stuff away. There’s great practical ways to be generous every day of our lives.

[Jodi Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it like a daily devotional where I read one to two pages a day and tried to implement that generous habit each day. Lots of good ideas ranging from writing someone a letter to buying someone YOUR favorite thing and even ones about generously giving yourself enough water or reflection time. 17 reflections and 101 creative ways to be generous

[Jenna Rohret]

I really wanted to love this book. I have read other books by this author and have loved them. The book was very simple and not what I expected. I was hoping for a more in-depth book on generosity with new ideas. As I read the book, I found my self getting bored and skimming through the pages. A lot of the book felt like a basic list I could have googled.

[Michael Thomas Cibenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a list and compilation of quotes than a book. A bit hokey at times, but a good reminder that we often have much more to offer than we realize. Very quick read -- read the whole thing in about an hour.

[Cherlynn Womack · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with 101 ways toward generosity. This inspiring book offers ways to become generous through giving. I recommend this book if you’re looking for ways to do more for others, whether if it’s something small or large.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've followed Matthew Kelly for years. His more recent books feel like retreads of previous material and feel more self-help rather than spiritual reflection. There are some good ideas. It's a quick read but feels almost too light.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept on the first page...give something every day, anything, not just money. But I don't particularly like the way it's written. Maybe it's great for a book that is in the bathroom or a daily devotional that you're going to pick up often for short intervals.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super simple concept but very impactful!
I think everyone should give it a read as it's so powerful in its message that you don't need to do big things or spend a lot of money to be generous. You can do this everyday and you should!
Generosity is contagious

[Rachel Vryhof · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many Matthew Kelly books, but this is in the top three for me. 101 ways to be generous and most have nothing to do with money. I often struggle to think of random acts of kindness, but this is a trove of inspiration.

[John Mance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful reminder that generosity is a habit worth cultivating. This book is filled with simple, practical wisdom to inspire a life of giving and purpose. Perfect for anyone looking to make a meaningful difference in their own life and beyond.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple, easy to read, and encouraging
I used it as a daily devotion theme

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 :)