Most of you I have spoken to consider yourself generous and givers. We are told that “to give is better than to receive.” Giving and generosity are great, but…
if we are all givers, who is going to do the receiving? Sure, there are the 10 percent or so of the population who are takers. They will take and take and take – all that you are willing to give. And then there are organizations who want you to “give until it hurts.”
That leaves us frustrated and bitter about our giving. Not what it’s supposed to be all about. How can we make this giving thing work?
Be a good receiver. When someone offers a compliment, accept it gracefully. I used to continually deflect compliments and say, “Oh, that’s no big deal.” Then I got clued in – by deflecting a compliment we tell the other person, “Thanks for your comment, but your judgment is not that good.” They offer us a gift and we insult them in return.
Consider that for each gift we want to offer, there needs to be a receiver. If you are generous and kind, people will want to return the favor.
So – the next time someone offers you a compliment or assistance or a gift. Consider accepting it gracefully and gratefully. If we learn to be a good receiver, it will be easier for all of us. We all want to help. Give someone a gift by letting them help you.
Practice today – if someone smiles at you, smile back.
If someone offers to give you something, accept it with grace and gratitude.
And let me know how that works for you.