The glass half-full vs half-empty argument is well debated. Perhaps we could rather ask “how full should the glass be“? If our glass is too full, there is no room for anything new. If it’s too empty, it risks becoming fully depleted. Only we can decide how ‘full’ is full enough for us.
Freedom to Express Ourselves
We don’t HAVE to want the same things, or feel obliged to share the same experiences! For instance, having a beach shack could be someone’s idea of heaven, while for another it’s being within walking distance of a local pub for close family gatherings. Or having a Ferrari vs a little Fiat 500.
We get to choose! What we want to wear. How we want to transport ourselves. The kind of work we’d like to do. Which hobbies are the most fun for us. The friends we make. The partners we choose to collaborate with. Our lifestyle choices also help determine how full to fill our glasses.
Our deepest yearning is being able to explore, express and share our authentic selves.
But … that’s also what makes relationships tricky!
Engaging with others gets deeply challenged by our (unspoken) expectations of each other.
Some relationships even fall off the rails when it dawns on us that the other person is different to whom we thought they were. Instead of being dismayed by these differences, couldn’t we rather ask ourselves, “Why am I wanting to limit this person?”
We honour each other’s personal journey by holding space for them to be themselves – it gives that feeling of ‘being at home’.
Yet this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have healthy boundaries. Giving someone space to be themselves, is not the same as letting someone trample over you. We also need to respect our state of being. Nobody else is responsible for how you are BEING!
How we are going to express ourselves is up to us. Therefore we need to have a good understanding of our disposable resources before engaging with anyone else. “How much do I need to keep? What needs to come in? What can I give? What can I exchange?“
It’s the same principle as putting a plane mask on yourself first, before helping others. By knowing how much of what we have is expendable, we protect our stability and thereby our ability to be of service.
There are many ways to of service. It could be that we’d like to share an emotional connection, or perhaps offer physical assistance. Maybe we’re thinking of investing in someone financially because we see their potential. Or simply gift them something out of compassion and love.
Things get murky when ‘giving’ is wrapped up in unexpressed-yet-expected reciprocity.
Responsibility for Exchanges
This community is about members sharing and exchanging knowledge, experiences, skills, etc. in the form of non-financial (SkillXChange, gifting, support, discussions) and financial (courses, donations, any contracts concluded outside of our platform) transactions.