Many people in this world make-consciously- the choice to be takers. What is a « taker »? A « taker » is a person who likes to benefit from other people’s gifts. Some « takers » also like to selfishly take advantage from other people without giving anything or very few things in return.
I do think that takers’ reward already lies in what they manage to take from others. However, I consider taking as a temporary joy.
As a kid, I used to like gifts, but didn’t envision a real pleasure in giving something away by myself.
However I have matured a lot in the meantime and while discovering my passion for writing and music journalism, I have experienced the joy of giving much more. Writing in itself is a great joy, but it is multiplied by thousand when I know that the stuff I put on paper is read by people all over the world and that it is often useful to them.
I actually feel happy when an artist asks me for a review, reads it and is totally satisfied with it. His « thank you » is worth a million to me. Promoting his music and letting people know about his art is indeed a rewarding activity for the artist himself, but above all for myself.
Next time you hesitate between offering and receiving a gift, picture the joy of the person whom you’d prepare a surprise. You guessed it: the joy that illuminates your fellows’ face is certainly the greatest enrichment you could get. The more you are willing to give, the more you receive in return: more than a theory, this divine law could be verified as true and will make a happy person of anybody who is willing to apply to it.