Giving Brings Receiving

"To have and not give is often worse than to steal." - Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer

Giving of myself is the most rewarding thing I have ever learned to do. The more I give, the better I feel. I didn't always live by this credo. I spent a lot of years living an isolated life - not sharing anything I had with anyone, even when I was married. I'm talking about sharing a part of me; my thoughts, my ideals, my opinions, my experiences.  I kept everything to myself out of fear.  I was afraid people wouldn't like me if I expressed something that might be considered wrong or incorrect or ignorant in some way.  As it turned out, people didn't dislike me; they just never got to know me at all.

I've learned over the years that if I want to keep what I have, I need to give it away.  To me, that means I need to share my life experiences with my friends when appropriate.  If someone is struggling with a difficult situation, I can offer comfort, understanding, and compassion by listening to them attentively.  If I pay close attention to what they are saying, I might be able to offer a suggestion or two about what I have done in the past when faced with a similar dilemma.  I grow emotionally and spiritually when I listen to friends share their experiences with me, so it's only right that I do the same in return.

I must say that the rewards from giving of myself are endless.  I've been blessed with a life today that I could never have thought up on my own.  I'm not filthy rich, I don't have a lot of possessions, but I have more than is necessary to live a comfortable life and I'm receiving more every day.  God has blessed me with so much: many beautiful friends, a home, a job, a purpose (to help others). I will never be able to give back even a small percentage of what has been given to me.  But I'll keep on giving my love and support to all of my friends and family for as long as I'm here on Earth. Giving is the way to go!