Have you ever felt drained after giving so much to someone, only to realize they never show up for you in the same way? Maybe you've supported a sibling or a friend through tough times, but when you needed help or a listening ear, they were nowhere to be found. It can be frustrating, even heartbreaking.
But here’s a truth that can set us free: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦. It can be time, money, energy emotions or anything else.. When we stop expecting a perfect tit-for-tat, giving starts to feel 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆—and that’s a great shift.
You might be the one always checking in on a friend’s well-being, while the person who checks in on you is someone completely different. You might be financially supporting a relative, but the help you receive in tough times comes from a kind mentor, a supportive colleague, or even a stranger’s unexpected generosity.
When we expect reciprocity from the same people we give to, we set ourselves up for disappointment. This is where resentment creeps in. "𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏…?" Sound familiar? But the moment we accept that life operates on a bigger, interconnected web of giving and receiving, we allow ourselves to give freely—without bitterness, without keeping score. The person we give to may not be in a position to give back to us and the person we receive from may not need anything from us.
A river doesn’t demand the rain that nourishes it to come from the exact clouds it once gave water to. It simply flows, knowing that what it gives will eventually come back in some way, from some source. This awareness gives us grace. It’s like, “𝑯𝒆𝒚, 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆.”
So, the next time you feel exhausted from giving, pause. Remind yourself: 𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏—𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘. Someone else, somewhere, will pour back into you. And when they do, accept it with gratitude.
All reactions:
4040
Comments