Giver or receiver?

Dear Friends/Liebe Freunde

Recently I received a (according to me) brilliant message from Michael, who is one of my MKP-Brothers. For that reason I am sharing it with you.

Dear Bruno,

Are you a Giver or Receiver?

 About 30 years ago I went bankrupt. My close friends gave our family food and money every day until months later I had found an income producing job. This bankruptcy interlude was one of the happiest periods of my life – yes happiest. To think that people so loved and cared for my family that they would go out of their way to ensure we could survive.
I did not beat myself up for losing my business and I was not too proud to accept the food that was given to our family of six. It was a totally new experience for all of us. Our children took it in their stride as we shared our gratitude openly. Some of the Givers were too embarrassed to knock on our front door and so left anonymous gifts for us – all the same, they were gracious Givers.
 What type of Giver are you? What type of Receiver are you? Generally we tend to focus on giving as “goodness” of feeling good or intending good.
Do you take compliments bashfully? Do you say, “Aw, it was really nothing”? Do you tell them to stop teasing you?
One of the big reasons most people don’t reach their full potential, financially or otherwise, is that they are very, very poor Receivers. Your Inner-e wants to receive everything with kindness and dignity. But often the outer personality has ideas of its own.
And then there’s that phrase that a lot of people heard when they were young, and we still hear it: Its better to give than to receive.” This makes receiving inferior to giving. From my experience, it is more difficult to receive than to give – it takes more inner courage to receive with gratitude than to give for whatever reason. Often there may also be an ulterior motive in giving to anyone.
How does it feel to give, especially when that person didn’t ask you for anything yet you knew they were in need? Most people say it feels great, yes? It’s especially the grateful receivers that make us feel even better about our giving, but what was your motive in giving? Could have it been for a tax rebate or to save a starving family?
So here’s your practice. No more returning compliments for a specific time! If someone gives you a compliment, you’re not allowed to give them a compliment back at that time because it dishonours them – you need to become a gracious Receiver. Returning a compliment because you think you have to robs them of the full joy of giving you the compliment. And it robs you of being a good Receiver. Become a gracious honourable Receiver and accept the compliment with gratitude. Do the same when your partner says they love you – savour the moment and allow the Giver’s words to sink in with all the thankfulness you can must up. But don’t just give it back – feel it first.
Receive with the same joy that you give – It is what will make you greater than you are in your career.
Until next time Bruno,
Michael
Sunday 29.09.2013

Thank you very much for joining me during my 70th birthday walking classes in Jalon/Xalo on Sunday 22nd September 2013. It is my intention to keep on having birtday parties until I leave for the eternal hunting fields.

Herzlichen Dank fuer ihre Anwesenheit waehrend unsere Wanderung genau am Tag wenn es mein 70. Geburtstag war. Mit 70 Jahre ist es schoen mit Freunde und Hunde wandern zu koennen. Es ist meine Zielsetzung es noch viele Male zu wiederholen.

This coming Sunday 29.09.2013 we will walk in Adsubia. We will meet Anna and John at La Moleta at 9.30. If you do not know where La Moleta/Adsubia is, come and join me at the library in Jalón/Xaló where I will wait for you, but I will leave at 8.45.

Love and blessings from Bruno
LieGrue von Bruno