Giving Does Not Diminish But Adds

For the last several months I have had some demanding times. Family members with chronic illness and crisis to attend to. I unexpectedly have been in a position to help and be a caregiver, listen and try to manage and support as well as provide housing. Of course, this was in addition to other commitments and obligations as well as the fast paced holiday season.

During this time I had many moments of frustration, of feeling drained and even a bit overwhelmed. I have many things I want to attend to and accomplish and have limited resources. I knew all along this time was purposeful though and even in those hard moments looked for the message and lesson in this experience for me. My coach helped tremendously listening and supporting accepting and validating my feelings helping me try to find balance. Certainly there was a lesson in boundaries and balance we recognized and worked on.

Then, in a quiet unexpected moment it came to me: None of this diminished me. In fact all of it added to me.

Sometimes we think and deeply feel we have no more to give but in actuality if we change our perspective on giving we do. The truth is no matter how much I give of myself it does not diminish me but adds to me. Every experience and opportunity adds more to my character, more to my knowledge and understanding more to my heart and experience. As soon as I thought this I knew it was true and I no longer felt depleted but that I had been made stronger, smarter and better for being able to give.

I realized anything I shared or provided was no more than what I earned in insight, understanding and a fresh perspective.I so needed all of this experience to move to where I am now and do what I will do next for me.

As always, it is never the thing but how we think about it.

Pay attention to how what you give and share adds to you rather than focusing on your perception of what it takes from you and  see what a difference changing your perspective can make.

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change" Wayne Dyer