You cannot receive unless you give

Our relationships are defined by a dynamic of giving and receiving at a variety of levels (things, ideas, attention, time etc) but the inherent paradox in this dynamic is that giving is actually receiving and receiving is actually giving. In order to receive you have to first give the ‘other’ the opportunity to give. In order to give you have to first receive the others openness to receiving!

At the spiritual level of giving and receiving the paradox takes an even deeper form. We all know from experience that when we give ‘with love’ we ‘feel’ that love first on its way out. In essence, only by giving love (not Hollywood love) can we know that love is what we have and what we are. It’s not that there are two selves but by giving love to others it’s ‘as if’ we are receiving it from our self. Conversely the more open we are to receiving the love of others the more we are ‘giving’ them the opportunity to feel and know themselves as love.

No surprise then that someone once said, “Through the gates of paradox you shall find the truth”. When we consciously seek the deeper truths in life it’s more than likely we will find paradox waiting for us at every corner and we are invited to turn what we once believed was logical on its head.

From www.relax7.com