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Posted: November 22nd, 2007 at 2:23am By: Joyce Shafer
We were five at our table at a social event I attended. Most of us had never met and were engaged in introductions, usual questions we ask to learn about someone, and follow-up questions and comments that get conversations going. A sixth person got up from his table and joined ours. The moment he sat with us, he began to "hold court." His stories about his life were definitely not boring, but I noticed after a while (two-plus hours, in fact) that I began to feel tired.
The reason I felt tired was because there was no fair exchange of energy. It's easy to see why doing all the giving might become exhausting, but the receiving? Yes. We have a natural instinct about how energy is supposed to flow. It's supposed to loop, not go off in one direction only. We usually agree to let someone talk like that if we've paid a fee to hear them. Those of us not talking were being fed lots of information, but it didn't "feed" us.
Every social engagement or meal that is considered a good one usually involves not just enjoyable eats, but interesting conversation shared by all. Shared. That's the key word for interactions; and it's best when everyone involved feels included. Giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin, though it's not always a 50-50 split. Sometimes balance is achieved through a different ratio, but we can always tell if the proportions are good by how we feel during and after.
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday, Nov. 22. The holiday's origin is based in diverse peoples sharing a level of abundance and has continued as a tradition of celebration with family or friends. At Thanksgiving, in particular, many who gather take a moment for each person to share what they are truly thankful for, something we might benefit from doing more often.
For most people around the world, a holiday season is upon us. Think of all the things you might share: help with meal preparations, decorating, conversation, hugs, good memories, creating new good memories, to name several. Choose to make this an opportunity to create a fair exchange of energy. Your holiday celebrations may involve long days and you may be tired at the end of them, but it'll be what we call a good tired. Rather than depleted, you may feel fulfilled.
Fulfillment is definitely something to be thankful for; but it usually doesn't happen unless we help create it. And it is, more often than not, derived from our contributing something of value or that is meaningful to others. What might your fair energy exchange be today, tomorrow, and every day?
— — —
Joyce Shafer is a life empowerment coach and author of "I Don't Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say" as well as "How to Have What You Really Want" and contributor of articles to various publications. She has an eclectic background and focuses on learning, growing and sharing information at every opportunity. She can be emailed at {email jls1422@yahoo.com}jls1422@yahoo.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Joyce Shafer.
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We were five at our table at a social event I attended. Most of us had never met and were engaged in introductions, usual questions we ask to learn about someone, and follow-up questions and comments that get conversations going. A sixth person got up from his table and joined ours. The moment he sat with us, he began to "hold court." His stories about his life were definitely not boring, but I noticed after a while (two-plus hours, in fact) that I began to feel tired.
The reason I felt tired was because there was no fair exchange of energy. It's easy to see why doing all the giving might become exhausting, but the receiving? Yes. We have a natural instinct about how energy is supposed to flow. It's supposed to loop, not go off in one direction only. We usually agree to let someone talk like that if we've paid a fee to hear them. Those of us not talking were being fed lots of information, but it didn't "feed" us.
Every social engagement or meal that is considered a good one usually involves not just enjoyable eats, but interesting conversation shared by all. Shared. That's the key word for interactions; and it's best when everyone involved feels included. Giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin, though it's not always a 50-50 split. Sometimes balance is achieved through a different ratio, but we can always tell if the proportions are good by how we feel during and after.
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday, Nov. 22. The holiday's origin is based in diverse peoples sharing a level of abundance and has continued as a tradition of celebration with family or friends. At Thanksgiving, in particular, many who gather take a moment for each person to share what they are truly thankful for, something we might benefit from doing more often.
For most people around the world, a holiday season is upon us. Think of all the things you might share: help with meal preparations, decorating, conversation, hugs, good memories, creating new good memories, to name several. Choose to make this an opportunity to create a fair exchange of energy. Your holiday celebrations may involve long days and you may be tired at the end of them, but it'll be what we call a good tired. Rather than depleted, you may feel fulfilled.
Fulfillment is definitely something to be thankful for; but it usually doesn't happen unless we help create it. And it is, more often than not, derived from our contributing something of value or that is meaningful to others. What might your fair energy exchange be today, tomorrow, and every day?
— — —
Joyce Shafer is a life empowerment coach and author of "I Don't Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say" as well as "How to Have What You Really Want" and contributor of articles to various publications. She has an eclectic background and focuses on learning, growing and sharing information at every opportunity. She can be emailed at {email jls1422@yahoo.com}jls1422@yahoo.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Joyce Shafer.
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