“Honesty is a very expensive gift. Don't expect it from cheap people.”― Warren Buffett
How many time do you give with expectation something in return – praise, love, trust, being liked, friendship, professional connection, a job, or monetary rewards? If we give with an expectation, it is not a gift but a debt for the recipient. How many time are you guilty of “trapping” people with your kind gestures, comforting words, thoughtful presents, and good listening, because you are lonely, feeling half-empty while craving for friendships, intimacy, human connections, and life fulfillment?
When we give with an expectation, we set ourselves up for being hurt and disappointed, or even being resented by others. And it is not giving at all if we act out of martyrdom and hurt ourselves when giving. “What is my motive?” we should ask ourselves.
Only when we give from a happy place, without expectation, without martyrdom, do we fully receive the “gift” from our own giving – we realize we have much more than we think we have, and we feel richer and fuller in return. Only when we freely give, do we allow ourselves to take in the gifts from others without feeling indebted and without a sense of anxiety to “return the favor”.
Today’s Affirmation: Freely given; freely received.
