Giving And Receiving
We spend so much time and energy trying to get what we think we need or trying to protect what we think we have. Because we are coming from a place of lack, we are unable to realize the full depth and significance of what we have to give. And as long as we are clinging on to what we have, we are unable to really open to the life that is waiting for us outside of that life situation we created.
When we can open to the truth of our active participation in the manifestation of the lives that we struggle to keep and strive to improve including the things that challenge our sense of security, we can begin to experience how much influence we really have to achieve what it is we set out to do.
As long as security is our main focus, we will continue to feel insecure. That feeling of insecurity is what keeps us from realizing the power we have to manifest whatever it is we desire. Perhaps the details of our current situation may not be exactly as we had originally planned, but if we pull back and look at the structure, it becomes obvious how instrumental we were in manifesting what we have.
Those parts of our situations that had not worked out as planned are the elements that are reflecting and amplifying the level of fear that went into the making of that reality. And as long as there is fear, we will continue to manifest aspects of unhappiness in our situations.
Letting go of our fears frees us up to experience the wealth of life that we currently have. It is in this experience of abundance that we begin to look for and find ways to give.
From the perspective of separateness, we believe that it is another’s willingness to give to us that allows us to receive. And often when we give of ourselves, if we do not feel our gift was adequately valued, we will not be as inclined to want to give. In this sense, we are giving in order to receive recognition for our gift.
But when we experience the truth that all is one, we begin to selfishly give to others. In giving to others, we realize that we are really giving to ourselves. That others are just another aspect of us, and that this illusion of separateness creates the opportunity to deepen our ability to love ourself through being able to give others the security of love that we sought for so long.
Coming at life from a place of abundance, we are now able to experience the joy of manifesting the situations we desire. Without fear undermining our efforts, we give more than we knew we had to give, and we receive more than we will ever need.
Now when we look at the details of our situations, we discover a deep sense of security. Having fully participated in the manifestation of the life that had been longing to be lived, we now know that no matter what comes to pass, we have the resources available to rise to the challenge and transform it through our fearless acceptance.
In our recognition of our absolute abundance, we feel inspired to give. For the first time we are able to realize that the opportunity to give is a gift in and of itself. From the perspective of wholeness, we realize that it is our willingness to give to others that allows us to receive.
Giving Heals
Growing up, we embody a mindset of wanting. We come to situations and relationships from a place of lack and we scan the scene for what it is we can get from it. If a situation appears not to hold anything for us, we feel unsatisfied or disinterested and we move on to something with seemingly more to offer.
Until we can break free from this mindset of lack and conditioned patterns of wanting, we are destined to remain in situations and relationships that are shallow, unfulfilled, and often troubled. Nothing in the world can truly bring us fulfillment, and yet opportunities for fulfillment are available to us each moment of our day. It is found in the still moment between breath and thought where we have the chance to change our way of interacting with the world.
When we become aware of that moment of stillness, we awaken to the present moment and find it teeming with life. When we retrain our minds to linger there for a while, we become infused with an experience of aliveness. There is an excited curiosity that takes over for a time as we notice things we hadn’t before, and we see other more familiar things as if for the first time.
In this heightened state of consciousness, even the simplest tasks bring us joy. There is a lightness in the realization that each moment only consists of simple things: that it’s only when we get taken over by thoughts that situations become complex. In this way, we tap into a never ending supply of joy, and “wanting” loses its influence over our interactions with life.
From this platform of fulfillment, we now scan scenes to see what we can give rather than get. And the more we give, the more we realize we have to give. In that giving, we experience a far deeper joy than we experienced from getting. As we look around us, we begin to see solutions instead of problems. For the first time we know what it is we have to do beyond any concept of what we might otherwise have chosen to do, and we have the energy and focus to rise to the challenges before us.
We begin to stretch ourselves in ways we never imagined ourselves doing, and loving in a way that we never thought possible. Outwardly the world still appears the same to those around us, but inwardly we have experienced the truth of “the man behind the curtain”. We are no longer fooled by the illusion of problems, and as mind-made distractions fall away, the real issues stand revealed. We bring ourselves to those issues and merge with them, acting upon them from the inside with a love that is beyond comprehension.
In that way, we begin to heal the wounds incurred in the schizophrenic battle of the illusion of a separate-self as we begin to experience ourselves as part of the whole of life. The power and effectiveness of our actions inspire those around us to begin to question all the ways their thoughts have limited their being in this world. We shift from growing up to growing wise. Embodying a mindset of giving from a place of abundance, we experience fulfillment, joy, and healing, as we bring an enthusiastic energy to each situation through a multitude of inspired acts of love.
As you move through your day today, I encourage you to pause and ask: “What is it that I can give in this situation?” There may not always be an apparent answer, but even just the act of asking is one that will lead to an experience of love. It is a question that helps you step out of the stream of thoughts by bringing you into the present moment, and that presence can heal in ways far deeper than the human mind can begin to comprehend.