One Apple A Day #426 - Giving and receiving
It’s Christmas time. That period of the year in which we buy presents for the people we love. And it makes me think about the power of giving and the struggle of receiving.
At an emotional level, I'm used to exchange. You give me something, and I feel the need to provide you with something in return. Or I give you something, and I expect for you to have something for me.
To give without attachment is more complicated. Being able to just give without expecting anything in return, not even a thank you. I observed that It’s easier when I am giving to someone in need or when I’m making a donation to a cause. It’s easier because it makes me feel a better person. But also because when I give to someone in need, I put myself on higher ground. As a giver, I have the power. The energy flows from me down to the other person.
As I learned last summer, the real challenge it ’s to receive without attachment. I grew up knowing that everything as a price. You don’t just accept something, you have to give something back. It’s a matter of pride. To accept something without giving nothing in exchange, that’s the big challenge.