Kahlil Gibran wrote many wise and insightful statements in his books. One of my favorite quotes is: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
This wonderful quote reminds me of ways we give loving kindness to one another. At the same time, I am mindful that teachings around this subject can be distorted into unhealthy self-sacrifice. Some people create situations where they develop a pattern of sacrificing self-care. Often they do this because they believe their self-sacrifice serves others.
Truly there are circumstances where foregoing our own wants or needs to give assistance to others is a source of joy and an act of love. The lifelong service of Mother Theresa is one example that comes to mind. Yet, if self-sacrifice is chronic and begins to rob an individual of joy, the practice of giving is out of balance. It is wise to seek balance in all of our practices.
Remember, beloved teacher, healers, and leaders of our time, there is value in drawing boundaries surrounding loving self-care. There are circumstances when it is healthy, loving, and spiritual to decline a request for assistance. Be conscious of the moment when you say yes to someone’s request when in your heart you want to say no. Saying yes when we want to say no removes the joy of giving and hurts the heart. Sometimes we don’t understand our motivation or desire to say no to a request for service. In these moments, we must listen to our heart and surrender to its wisdom.
Loving Care Intention: I intend to let love show when I give of myself to myself. I listen to my heart and accept that there are times when saying no to a request is truly best for everyone involved. I surrender to the wisdom of my heart. I accept that giving loving attention to my own needs is healthy, loving, and spiritual. As I replenish my own cup of love and joy to overabundance, it easily flows to others. I give to others with boundless joy and love, and I give to myself an abundant measure of respectful, gentle self-care.
Giving completely is a great gift. Anything less will create a friction we all do not like.
Thanks for the reminder to keep me awake to my goals in life. So much is happening right now to get us to all evolve to love over fear. Creating this dialog is so helpful for me. thanks Rawberto
Thank you for your insightful comments, Rawberto. I share with you the excitement about our collective movement away from fearing one another into a time of love-based connection. Plus, I like the way we, our loving group of leaders, gently nudge each other awake from time to time. 🙂 I LOVE my FB friends for the positive vibes (tones) they send each day. We get to lift each other, and that is a gift for which I’m so deeply grateful. I love you, my brother, my teacher, my friend. ♥ 🙂 JOY!