What are the proportions of giving and taking in your life?
Take some time to reflect upon each and one of your relationships, do some notes if necessary, and think about the results. What do you see?
Are you predominantly a giver? Or a taker?
Don’t worry if you are out of balance in giving and taking – there are ways of correcting the situation. Focus on what is purposeful, listen to your intuition, and first then decide, whether continuing the giving is the right thing to do (this means, if you are in a situation where you are constantly giving without getting anything in return).
As in Chinese philosophy, giving and taking need to be in balance in order to create harmony.
We need to value oppositions and contrary forces, since:
– There is no light without darkness
– There is no high without any low
– There is no hot without any cold
– There is no masculinity without femininity
– There is no ying without the yang
– There is no ebb without any flood
However, we also need to be aware of the fact that the world is not only black and white, but a colorful place with as many perspectives upon life as there are people. More than seven billion people on Earth, and there is no one exactly identical to you. We are all unique; something worth thinking about the next time you might not be feeling happy about yourself.
As a giver, as you probably are if you are reading this, just think about what a wonderful quality it is. Giving, and being a giver, has been proven to increase the level of satisfaction in a person’s life. Think about a situation where you have helped someone out, or given them something without asking for anything in return. How did that make you feel?
Being a giver is extremely good for your health, and for building successful relationships. Through giving and being generous, you can win people’s hearts.
It is also important to keep in mind the limits for your giving, and who you are giving to:
– What is the purpose of your giving?
– Is this particular giving worthwhile?
– Do(es) this person/these persons/community deserve your continuous giving?
– Do you receive anything in return for your sacrifices?
– If you give in a relationship, but never receive anything in return, could you by chance redirect your energy towards something more lucrative?
Giving is more important than taking, but in order to live a perfectly balanced life you, as a giver, must be open to receiving as well.
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier”.
(Mother Teresa)
The following video by Give and Take- author Adam Grant gives us further insight into what it means to be a giver in a long-term perspective:
Anne-Maria Yritys 
Reblogged this on OODOO.
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