The Power of Giving and Receiving

If I want to feel better when things are not going quiet right I have learned to give. Since I don’t have much money it makes it easier for me to understand how to do this in a non-monetary way. At the grocery store I might pull a cart out and give it to the person behind me, a smile and hold the door open for someone is a great way to give. When I am driving and other drivers are driving like crazy I find the time to slow down and let someone ahead of me who for a reason needs to be in such a hurry. Giving with out expecting anything in return is a great way to turn a bad day around and make myself feel better. It also seems that when I start to give I will also notice how often someone is trying to do the same kind of giving to me. Letting myself accept these gifts can sometimes be a lot tougher then giving sometimes. If an older woman holds a door open for me I might let myself feel bad or rush to get through the door instead of just taking the time to smile and say thank you. There is a power in giving and receiving that is very healing to my mind, body, and spirit. Modern science would show us that when we give with out expecting to receive there is a chemical release in our body that is more powerful them any medication we can get for helping things like pain and heart disease. The best part is that these chemicals are they don’t have any bad side effects like we would get from medications for these problems. Try taking a breath in and hold it until you start to feel uncomfortable while not letting yourself give any of the air back, and then blow out all your breath and hold it while not letting yourself receive any air. That is the same uncomfortable feeling that builds in us if we don’t do the simple task of giving and receiving during our day. Look people in the eyes today and smile, I promise only good things will come of it. Let people do for you instead of saying no thank you and you will also get those same good feelings.