If you’re a driver, you’ve probably seen those signs that say, “Take Gap. Give Gap.” They’re posted where several lines of traffic must merge into one. When all drivers cooperate, it’s a vision of #reciprocity in action. I give a space and then I get a space. It’s quite wonderful. In everyday life, often to our dismay, the give and take is not always so simple or easy.
I remember having a discussion about #reciprocity with some parents and children in one of my yoga classes. We were reviewing what’s often called the golden rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Specifically, we talked about treating people the way we want to be treated as one way of living the principle, #reciprocity. Reviewing the basics of the law of attraction, I shared that what we give comes back to us. A mom raised an issue, begging to differ, based upon experiences in her workplace. She expressed her desire to share daily courtesies with others when she arrived at work. However, sometimes when she said, “Good morning,” others responded, “What’s so good about it?” Ouch!!!
She felt verbally and emotionally assaulted when her kindness was returned with rudeness. In her experience, she was not getting what she was giving. She had no idea how to respond in a constructive manner to the negativity she confronted and at the beginning of her day, no less.
Her experience reminded me of two things.
Good begets good. People may not return the good that we share with them. Nonetheless, the good we share will come back to us. "Well when?" you ask. Consider this. When we donate to charity or work at a soup kitchen, the person on the receiving end of our good may not be the one who returns it. In these instances, we trust that our good benefits another and we find peace and satisfaction in that fact. We rest in the comfort of being our best self with others. This place of peace in sharing our good is in itself rewarding to us. It is important that we remain steady, standing firm on our principles, even in instances when another does not immediately return our good.
It's not necessarily the way it was on the see-saw or teeter totter with our childhood friends.
This is not to say that we should allow ourselves to be punching bags or carpet for the inconsiderate. There’s no need for us to be overly kind or to allow ourselves to be abused or misused by others. An example of this abuse is when the person who responds to your “Good morning” with “What’s so good about it? turns out to be the same person who says “You can’t speak?” when you don't get out your “Good morning" at a speed to their liking. There's no way to satisfy them. Don't try. You aren't in the business of filling a bottomless pit. But check out number 2 below.
Every day is on our side. When you say, "Good morning", the cynical person asks, “what’s so good about it?” Answer - it shows up everyday. We can count on it. The morning will come. It’s reliable, dependable. Always there offering us another opportunity, opening the way for good to come to us. I like to think of morning as a sweet reminder of possibility and potential, more room, time to manifest our goals. The Universe delivers morning everyday. It’s a reminder that the Universe is on our side, providing us with the space and unlimited energy to manifest our goals. Offering up it’s good without hesitation and opening to receive ours.
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