The GIVE TO GET Principle
Whenever you feel short or in need of something, give what you want first and it will come back in buckets. That is true for money, a smile, love, or friendship. I know it is often the last thing a person may want to do, but it has always worked for me. I trust that the principle of reciprocity is true, and I give what I want. I want money, so I give money, and it comes back in multiples. I want sales, so I help someone else sell something, and sales come to me. I want contacts, and I help someone else get contacts. Like magic, contacts come to me. I heard a saying years ago that went: “God does not need to receive, but humans need to give.”
In my life, whenever I have felt needy or short of money or short of help, I simply went out or found in my heart what I wanted, and decided to give it first. And when I gave, it always came back.
Below are some tips for doing so.
1- Be reciprocal with your own body and subjectivity. To live is to wear down the body. There’s no more reciprocal act than recharging it with energy. Surrender, take care, rest, understand, embrace yourself.
2- Be reciprocal with nature. All the resources we use are ultimately extracted from our environments. Balance your relationship with the earth; consume moderately; look for strategies for reducing your carbon footprint and inorganic waste; compost; sow a garden or orchard; care for a tree or an urban garden; take care of animals.
3- Take care of those who care for you. Those around you—especially your family members, housemates, friends, co-workers, couples—do a lot for you even if you don’t always notice. Treat the people around you with care and appreciation. Improves the spaces you share. Strive for clear communication. Respect silent spaces. Collaborate. Look for comfortable ways to show how you feel and show love to others.
4- Be reciprocal with strangers, too. The world’s made up of millions of minds, looks, and works you don’t know. The people who grow what you eat; who collect and separate the garbage you produce; who make sure you get the products and services you need; sweeping the streets you walk. You have a function invisible to them. Be gentle with those around you. Take others into account.
5- Teach reciprocity. Be generous and be reciprocal, but don’t expect reciprocity. Taking care of the environment won’t automatically fill your garden with fruits and vegetables. Being nice to your neighbors won’t resolve every conflict in your neighborhood. But being reciprocal and teaching others to be reciprocal is the best way to come closer to a state of balance. The experience produced by these words, with a little luck, will come back to you. Share your own new ways ahead.