To feel the joy of being in harmony we need to be in balance.
One of the aspects of balance has to do with putting back – at least as
much as we are taking. Very few do this.
Very few people are happy. As children we grew up expecting, and
taking-for-granted, and somewhere in ourselves we go on doing this for the
rest of our lives.
We are taking all the time. Just the air we breath, let alone all the facilities
that are provided for us. And however they have been to us, and no matter
what we are doing with it, there is no way we can repay our parents for giving
us life. Saying ‘we forgive them’ is just stupid.
In my own life I feel as though I can never give enough.
I feel grateful all the time – for everything – even the unpleasant happenings.
Learning from everything.
Whenever someone writes to me with their gratefulness I feel uplifted,
encouraged, and supported – for me, and for them – because when they
express their appreciation they are also uplifted. I feel accepting any
donations or gifts is a two-way event.
Many of the things around me have been gifted to me – including life.
I feel as though I cannot be grateful enough. And incidentally, every time
I use, or even look at something gifted to me I feel I am in touch with
the person who gave it to me. To me it feels as though I package of loving
energy goes to them in that moment – and maybe all moments.
So maybe, the more you give, the more you get? I think so.
Been a lot of death around lately, and so often I hear that the person has
gone with regrets. So often to do with not completing – expressing their
love for the people in their lives. Same with the ones left behind – not
expressing their full love for the one departed.
So often I have heard that someone has had a life change through the
efforts of a friend, or therapist, yet the one who has benefited does not
share fully their appreciation – let alone attempt to repay – the
un-repayable.
Just as an experiment, try it out. Scan through your life and see who has
befitted you a lot, and see if you can find a way to express your
appreciation to them.
And not only to them, whatever you have got through someone, see if you
can pass it on. Just a smile on the street or in a store can make a big
difference in someone’s day. We never know what people are going through.
At the supermarket checkout – if someone puts something back because they
cannot pay, pay for it for them. We really are all family. You have no idea such
a small gesture can make to a person’s life – and those around them.
Instead of us focussing on how much we can take out of life, take a little
time to experiment with how much we can give.
The most contented and fulfilled people I know are the ones who are ‘in
the service of others.’ There is something beautiful and shiny about them.
They glow.
There is a Sufi saying: “The giver should be thankful.”