I tend to be conservative with money. I’m frugal. When it comes to tipping or being generous, it’s hard for me. I’m worried that I won’t not have enough if I give some of it away. It’s an area I’m working hard to correct.

I tend to view right and wrong as whether I will be proud of the decision or action on my deathbed. When it comes to being generous, the answer’s easy. I will most certainly be more proud of myself for having given away the extra dollar.

Taking advantage of an opportunity to be generous is probably one of the most crucial decisions I will make in life.
But it is hard, and I don’t always do it. It’s kind of crazy when I really think about it. I should value opportunities to be generous because they present magnificent opportunities to be proud on my deathbed. Instead I often duck them or look at them as possibilities for loss.

But it really couldn’t be more opposite. I need to retrain myself so I don’t miss opportunities to make the “right” decision.

Timothy Velner is a husband, father, attorney and author living in Minneapolis. You can follow his daily blog – a series of discussions between the worry-self and the present-self at – thespiritualgym.me