Daily Cascade

Giving and Getting

Prompt:
"You'll have true happiness when you live to give, not to get"
Noa Shaw
Write about this in your Blog entry today.

--------

This quote may mean that selflessness and generosity is better for achieving happiness, better than going after personal gain. Although, the part, "you live to give, not to get" bothered me some.

Now that I looked at the quote or rather thought about the meaning of it, my way, who am I to think that people will find true happiness when they "give" all the time, instead of "get" at least some of the time! Isn't there a happy medium?

Focusing on only "getting," however, one ends up becoming an extremely selfish person, and this is not good for anyone's self image or adaptation to life, and this type of getting could only be the beginning of his woes.

Also, let's consider the other side of the coin. What if someone only gives and gives, to the detriment of himself, his health, his well-being, and even his relationships and his children? The result could make a very poor and very unhappy human being, couldn't it!

Yet, altruism and service can be uplifting for one's own image, true. Still, even that is some kind of getting, isn't it!

Contribution to others' well being and the feelings of compassion does bring joy and an true happiness, but I believe this non-stop giving shouldn't overtake everything to the abandonment of all else in one's life and relationships. The right action, therefore, has to fall somewhere in the middle. By taking care of our own needs as well as focusing on giving has to be the way to an authentic happiness.