Giving and Receiving

Recently when reading from the book "A Course In Miracles," the first two sentences of Workbook Less 159 really stuck with me:

"No one can give what he has not received. To give a thing requires first you have it in your own possession."  Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (p. 982). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition.  

It occurred to me that this explains why giving love, compassion and forgiveness to others is so important in our daily lives. If I cannot give something I do not have, how would ever I increase the love, joy and peace that I desire in my life? It seems I would have to receive it first. When I think about it, receiving these very gifts from others is how I actually learned to value them. The truth is that from the moment I was born, the people around me began caring for and nurturing me. There have been hundreds of them throughout my life. How could I have become the person I am today without them?

An article posted at The Chopra Center describes the universal law of giving and receiving:

"The universe operates through dynamic exchange . . . giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives."
"Spirituality, The Law of the Day" The Chopra Center

This is a powerful concept. Simply stated, I receive that which I give. If we all chose to respond with anger or vengeance when we feel hurt or attacked, how would we ever bring the painful cycle of attack and suffering to an end? On the other hand, when I respond to others from love, compassion and forgiveness, I increase these gifts in my own life. Clearly this is what Jesus was trying to teach us. While we each have very unique individual life experiences, we are all interconnected through the gifts we give to (or hold back from) one another.

That said, learning to resist the urge to respond with anger to others requires a great deal of effort. I must learn to be aware of my thoughts and feelings before I respond to others. Practicing self-awareness will give me the space I need to choose to respond differently - from love, compassion and forgiveness instead of anger, hatred and revenge. When I realize I have hurt others, love, compassion and forgiveness are what I want for myself. Knowing now that I must share with others the very gifts I seek, I desire to give love, compassion and forgiveness to the people around me.  When I give love, love returns to me, and I contribute to the transformation of my own life experience and the lives of others.