Generosity: In keeping with the coming new year, I've been doing some thinking about my goals for the coming year. And along with some of the usual, very practical goals (think money, diet, exercise) I've also been thinking more about qualities or character traits I want to practice.

As I've been thinking about these things, it occurs to me that it is much easier to be generous during December. I want to go overboard on gifts, I think of all kinds of things that people in my life would love, I want to donate money to all kinds of different causes. Why is it more difficult to be generous the rest of the year? Actually, the better question is, why does it seem there are less opportunities to be generous the rest of the year?

I think looking for opportunities to be generous might just be one of them.