4.5.11

Are you a giver or a taker? Or are you right in the middle, happy medium...balanced, if you will? 


I think I err on the side of giver (hopefully my readers are nodding in agreement and not proclaiming, "That girl be crazy! She steals all my energy!"). I give my time and energy to a variety of things that help others--I'm emotionally and academically on my toes for most of the day, I go home and give more love to my family, and on certain nights that love is divided and offered up to my yoga students. Other nights I dig deep and give more energy to a gut-buster work out. I give attention and advice in emails, texts, and phone calls. I really truly feel like I put a lot out into the world. 


But then how much do I take in? 


I accept hugs without question. I'll take a shoulder to cry on and an ear to vent to. I'll take $0.75 for french fries for lunch and gracefully accept your compliment on my scarf. I've become better at accepting help, and even more so at saying "No" to events and people that would take away time from areas of my life I now deem too important to neglect. 


I think most people I know would say they are unbalanced, that they give and give and give. It's almost like they forget how to stop and let someone else give back to them. It becomes a habit to do it all. But is that a healthy habit to maintain? 


Have you heard people say, "All I do is give, and I receive nothing in return." Chances are these people aren't actually giving. They are, more than likely, taking more than they should. They take too much time to whine and complain, to rely on others to fix them, help them, be emotionally available at all times. 


So where do you fall? How can you become more balanced? 


(Again, not an expert.) Start by stopping. Did someone just pay you a compliment? Stop and accept it with an enormous smile. Don't think yourself undeserving. Did you just unload a mound of negativity on someone? Stop and ask them how they are doing, or pay them a compliment. Better yet, thank them! 


So thank YOU blog readers. For reading. For accepting the energy that I put out into the world.