Giving And Getting

We all seek inclusion. We all want to be part of something outside of ourselves…something bigger and preferably better.

But want and need do not add up to achievement and satisfaction. Desire is one thing. Contentment sits at the other end of the emotional spectrum.

Much of our life is spent attempting to bridge the gap between the two. The effort can create considerable angst.

But there is a very basic and sensible strategy. There is a method that can be used to sidestep or, at the very least, lessen the negativity of self-inflicted emotional turmoil.

In order to get we must first give…and it’s in the giving that we often receive.

When we reach out and offer emotional or spiritual support to someone in need we make connections.

The first connection is the one between individuals and that is important.

But the most significant connection we make is between our own head and our own heart. We get to know ourselves better and, in so doing, we get to understand ourselves better.

It’s in reaching out that we extend ourselves beyond the person we are. It’s in both the preparation for and the act of reaching out that we look inside ourselves for both strength and motivation.

The emotional traffic flows in both directions but it must start with the individual.

If it’s inclusion and connection that we desire then it’s important to put the person we are into the effort.

Loneliness is one of the most significant scourges of the modern age. It results from isolation and withdrawal.

It can be overcome. It can start with reaching out. It can start with giving. It can start today.