At one time or another, we all think about ourselves when we give to others.
That’s perfectly fine when your gift is a shared experience: a nice meal, a concert or a movie. You’re celebrating your relationship and saying, “I love you so much that I want to enjoy some special time together.”
Some gifts are thinly veiled gifts to yourself. Examples among spouses abound. Consider the husband who buys a big-screen TV for his wife a week before Valentine’s so that they can enjoy watching the Super Bowl together.
Have you ever received a gift that someone else uses more than you?
When I was 14, I gave my brother a record album that I liked myself. He immediately noted that I would be enjoying the music as much as he, so I exchanged it for something he really liked (that I couldn’t use).
There are three virtues that I call “double blessing:” forgiveness, appreciation and generosity. They are two-way gifts — gifts that give back. They benefit the giver as well as the receiver. They strengthen our relationships, and they nourish our souls.
- Forgiveness
Shakespeare said it best in The Merchant of Venice:
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath; it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Sometimes, we are loath to forgive someone who has hurt us. It is especially difficult if that person’s actions have caused great suffering, were done with ill intent and with no remorse.
To forgive may feel like you’re letting the other off the hook, giving something up or diminishing yourself, but what you give up and lighten may be a load that has been weighing you down and holding you back.
If you’ve travelled by plane recently, you’ve noticed that most passengers are maximizing their carry on luggage, stuffing them under seats and overhead. This makes for an even more uncomfortable flight for themselves and their neighbours.
We weigh ourselves down by carrying into each new day the baggage of our past: resentments, prejudices, insults and slights. They hold us back from stepping lightly, moving forward and welcoming new experiences.
Forgiveness isn’t so much letting someone else off the hook as it is unhooking you from the load you’ve been towing. You are the one who is freed.
- Appreciation
I taught my children that two of the most important prayers are those of gratitude at the dawn of each day and at dusk. When we frame the day counting our blessings, we nurture both optimism and happiness. We greet a new day with a cup half full and go to bed, with a cup overflowing.
But we can do much more than just counting our blessings and acknowledging the gifts of the day. We can strengthen our relationships and spread happiness by thanking those who have helped us.
We all need to feel appreciated and to know that we make a difference to the people around us. If someone has touched you and made your life better, thank them. Don’t take anyone for granted. Don’t miss a day’s opportunities to express appreciation and to make a difference. All is fleeting.
- Generosity
Each day you can see people in need, and you can help in ways big and small.
You don’t have to be rich to enrich your own day and make a positive difference. You can make someone’s day with an act of kindness, a sincere complement, a helping hand, encouragement and appreciation.
When we give freely and without expectation, we are nurturing our own capacity for unconditional love. We are each beneficiaries of kindness and love from many people throughout our lives: teachers, coaches, health care providers, family, friends and benevolent strangers. We cannot give back all that we’ve received, but we can give that love forward.
It is the greatest re-gift.
Davidicus Wong is a family physician and his Healthwise columns appear regularly in the News. For more on achieving your positive potential in health, see his website at DavidicusWong.Wordpress.com.
