May 2012

"The generous month of May"

By Dean Gail Stuart, PhD, RN, FAAN

May is one of my favorite months. It has spring flowers, balmy breezes, Nurse’s Week, Mother’s Day, and graduation! What could be finer? May is also Mental Health Month. That reminds me of my yearly good intentions that bloom in my mind this month like the flowers in my garden.
These include such things as:

Connecting with others
Staying positive
Getting physically active
Helping others
Getting enough sleep
Creating joy and satisfaction
Eating healthy
Reducing stress

These are all great reminders of things that somehow seem to fall out of my daily planner as my individual days get more and more hectic. That said, the past few weeks I have been thinking a lot about one particular quality that I think is also critically important to our collective mental health. It is the gift of generosity -
generosity in spirit, intentions, knowledge and action. Generosity means giving freely without expecting anything in return. Online Nursing Schools

I am reminded that the pin of the College of Nursing that we give to our graduates at graduation has the inscription “Auget Largiendo” meaning “She, the College, gives generously.” This is a wonderful reflection of how we all
should live our lives. Giving generously to others is really a two way street because what we give to others comes back to enrich our lives in new and meaningful ways.

So this month, in addition to enjoying the beauty of spring, take some time to consider how you might share what you have with those around you and say “yes” to those whom you can help in the true spirit of generosity….Gail

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