Every woman who is kick-ass enough to be granted entry to the buzzing, friendly halls of Camelot agrees to abide by the Code Of Chivalry. The Code Of Chivalry is the backbone of the success of the Galahad model. Our Code is directly derived from the medieval code used within the mythic realms of King Arthur’s Court. Originally the Code Of Chivalry was developed as an aristocratic warrior code which is very fitting as we Galahads are moving forward in to the battle for our ideal life.
The values embodied in The Code are the values that must be completely embedded in the thoughts and actions of all Galahads – in business and in life. When all of our members are truly living The Code we will be well on our way to achieving our mission of creating a community of generous, powerful, self-fulfilled and financially successful entrepreneurs.
Want to really make sure you are living the code? Let’s review the meaning of one of the tenets, and see how you can choose to incorporate the Code Of Chivalry in your life and business.
Largesse – Give, give, give. Be as generous to other Galahads as your resources allow. What ever you put forth will come back to you ten-fold.
Kahlil Gibrahn said ”Generosity is not giving me that which I need more than you do, but it is giving me that which you need more than I do.” It has been proven in many a study that generosity is good for both your health and your pocket – but mostly it benefits those around you – and that’s what being a kick-ass woman is about. Erica used the best description of largesse in one of our extensive conversations about what we would like the Code Of Chivalry to represent. She called it, “intentional generosity”. So how can you be intentionally generous?
Here are 5 practical ways to practice Largesse. See if you can apply one action a day for every day next week…
Give Time
All of us are busy. I am sure that every Gal reading this has used the phrase, “there aren’t enough hours in the day”. But the question is, what are you using those hours for? Time is our most precious commodity. To give away our time is one of the most generous donations we can make in service of the universe. Can you look back on every day and say you used every minute of your time wisely? I can’t. But if I could look back on every day and say to myself that I gave away some of that precious time for a good cause, I could feel good about that day regardless of what I managed to accomplish. Here are some time giving ideas. See if you can give time every day.
- Pick up groceries for an elderly neighbor while you are shopping for yours.
- Pick up the phone when a friend is calling (even when you think you couldn’t possibly spare a minute) and spend the time listening.
- Spend an hour reviewing a colleagues work for her – providing well-though out attentive feedback.
- Sacrifice the gym one morning and surprise your family with a fully-cooked family breakfast.
Give Talents
Is there something that you have a particular talent for that is a frustration for others? Most of the time it’s something you enjoy anyway. For example I love coaching. Love it. It gives me real pleasure sharing my talents so I always carry a pro-bono client in my agenda. Every single one of you has a talent or talents that would tremendously benefit your friends, family or other Galahads. Here are some ideas.
- Good at Graphic Design? Offer to clean up a logo for another business owner.
- Talent for writing? Reach out to someone who may need the support of a strong editor for a short e-book or article.
- How about non-business activities? Are you a killer baker? Offer to do the birthday cake for a classmate of one of your kids.
Give Inspiration
Generosity doesn’t have to take any time at all. Sometimes it is as simple as saying the right words at the right time. When was the last time you told a waiter how impressed you were with their service. Or complimented a co-worker on a project. It take just a few minutes to give inspiration here are some phrases you might try working in to your daily vocabulary.
- You are really great at…
- I love how you…
- It really makes me feel great when you…
- You really move people when you…
Give Credit
And I don’t mean credit where credit is due. That’s a given. How about just acknowledging even the smallest contributions. You don’t need a list for this one – it’s easy to practice. Every time someone compliments you on anything you can reply with, “Yes but I couldn’t have done it without (insert name and contribution)”. No Galahad accomplishes anything in a vacuum and practicing the tenant of largesse by giving credit also helps you practice gratitude more frequently. Can’t go wrong there.
Give Money
The smallest amount can make a massive difference. With Kiva, for only $25 you can contribute to a loan for woman entrepreneur in a developing country. Even better? They pay it back and you can loan it again and again. Here are some ideas for giving money where you know it will be put to good use.
- Give to family. Create an Auntie account for your nieces and nephews and start contributing college spending money.
- Give to Entrepreneurs. Go to Kiva above or visit Kickstarter for great ways to donate to innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Donate to a reputable charitable organization. Here’s an article with some great tips on checking out a charity prior to donating.
Intentional generosity is how kick-ass women ensure that they carry other women along with them on their adventures… and we all know we need company on our quests.
How do you practice largesse?
*Photo by Ed Yourdon
AUTHOR'S BIO
Location-Independent Entrepreneur & Certified Life Coach, Galahad, Wife, Mum, & Adventurer. Co-Founder of Galahads - The Secret Society for Kick-Ass Women. Founder & CEO of Emily Rose Doll Clothes and Wish Doll Company. Founder & CEO of Laptop Life Lisa. Finding the revenue and results inside every entrepreneur. Mum of a rocking 14 year-old daughter visit her at TheOneAndOnlyEmTV. Lucky wife of her soul-mate and fellow adventurer, Mark. Traveling the world while running four businesses and raising a teenager. Journey from the last 6 weeks? Bahamas to Scotland to England to France to Switzerland, currently hanging in Borgo Val di Taro, Italy. @LaptopLifeLisa