TODAY'S GIFT FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS/AUGUST 2014

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, August 31, 2014

You are reading from the book Today's Gift

I'm a trader at heart. . . except that I don't like trades that come out equally--that's too much like borrowing. I'd rather trade a strong hand for a patient ear or a story for a meal: anything that keeps things turning over.
—Gordon Bok

There is an old saying that there are just two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. Those of us who are givers delight in it. We have a buck to lend when someone is broke, a kind word when they're down, a helping hand when they need it. But sometimes we givers are uncomfortable when we're on the receiving end. We brush off thanks and gifts and help, even when they're needed or deserved.

Those of us who are takers, on the other hand, know how to receive graciously what others have to give; we know how to ask for what we need. Often, however, we don't know how to give. We may be afraid our gifts will be wrong or rejected or laughed at.

We can all strive to become traders, people who have learned how to both give and receive. We each have the capacity to give what we have freely and to ask, gratefully, for what we don't have. That is the greatest gift of all.

What can I give and take today?

So much of life is energy, and exchange of energy between one person and another. It is up to us whether we accept or reject it. Life isn't about the almighty dollar, and doesn't have to be hands on, a prayer and a healing thought goes a long way.