Read that sentence again and again – YOU CANNOT GIVE WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE. It has a very deep meaning. Listen, let’s look at this statement and obtain the real meaning together. If you have a glass of water, then you can give water. This means that if the glass is empty, then you have nothing to give. Turn this analogy around and think about love. Just like the glass of water, you cannot give love if you do not have love in you, I mean, you must love yourself first. One can only give or share what they have, not anything else. Have you ever seen very nice people, who love dearly? That is what they have within them and are able to share. Also, those who hate others are carrying hatred in their heart. In fact, they can only share negativity. They do not have joy or love in them.
Take the above further to your colleagues, friends, and peers. Have you ever seen those people who cannot share their knowledge with other colleagues? This means that they have nothing to share. Believe me, no one who possesses the requisite knowledge refuses to share. This might be a surprise but it is the truth. Those who possess the right knowledge are always eager to share it and in fact, they enjoy learning more as they share.
So, ladies and gentlemen, first evaluate yourself critically. What are you giving your spouse, friends, neighbors, your children, siblings too? Place yourself in their shoes and for once looking at yourself from a third eye. Are you receiving love or hatred from self? Are you receiving appreciation or criticism? What you are experiencing now is what others experience from you. If you do not like what you feel, then there is a need for change. It is not easy to change and again it is not impossible. Remember, if you want to give out love, you should have it within you first because you cannot give what you do not have.
Most people identify themselves with the false identity that they are what they own, money, cars, grades, clothes, etc. This false identity which sometimes looks glamorous results in some people feeling more superior than others and may at times look down on those who do not have similar possessions or accomplishments. However, oftentimes you find that the most humble people with much fewer possessions are very happy and are able to share love, knowledge, and happiness with others. Why is that so?
The conclusion is that physical possessions are not equal to happiness although might add a degree of satisfaction but not happiness. The intangible possessions such as love and happiness are generated from within and not from physical possessions. You have heard of the quote, ‘As you think, so shall you be’. This means that in order to generate inner happiness, love appreciation, gratitude, etc. you need to feed your mind and inner self with the right things. This calls for one to read the right articles and books and also watch the right movies. Associate yourself with the right people so as to be able to receive, give, and also generate a positive mindset. What you feed your mind with all day long becomes your inner voice in the long run. Select your environment and feed your mind with the right information.
My recommendation is for one to have an open mind that is receptive to all possibilities. Do not judge but filter out what is good for you. Your gut feel will always tell you what is right and will reject that which is not right for you. Follow your instincts and wise council where possible. You will slowly replace the negative thoughts with a positive mindset in the long run if you keep at it long enough. You will therefore eventually fill your inner self with love and happiness that you can share with others.
Thanks for taking time to read this article. The contents of this article are my personal opinions. Please leave a comment below and click the follow button to be notified of the weekly blog posts. I post a blog every Saturday