Love Flow
And in the end The love you take
Is equal to the love you make.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Giving and receiving. Both are necessary if we are to find happiness and balance.
Giving comes naturally for many of us. It can feel like it’s in our DNA to give abundantly to family and friends, jobs, communities, others with real needs.
There’s no question our lives are richer for giving, as whatever we give, we receive back in that moment. Be it joy, kindness, empowerment, grace, or something else.
It’s easy to get lopsided, though, when you miss the ‘receiving’ part.
I happily received the lyrics above from an enlightened friend commenting on the power of giving love to watch it grow exponentially. The words came from ‘The End,’ the final track on the last album ever recorded by the Beatles, who created incredibly deeply inspired music.
They were clearly onto something. Giving and receiving go hand in hand and cannot exist without each other. The Yin and Yang. The inhale and exhale. The being and doing.
Some say it’s selfish to focus on receiving. I say there’s nothing wrong with being selfish if it means tending to yourself. In fact, it can be a good thing.
Without receiving, you can lose your balance and become burned-out, angry, and depleted, without anything left to give. Receiving replenishes. It refuels your tank, so you’re not left stranded on the roadside but topped-off and ready to keep going and giving.
More and more, I realize how important it is to consciously receive. To become an open, willing, and grateful receptacle for love flowing all around. The Universe constantly sends all sorts of gifts. And when you’re open to receiving them, you give that love somewhere to land.
On a recent morning walk, I received warm greetings from trail friends. One familiar face smiled as she guided me to, ‘Watch out for the fallen acorns!’ A second woman whisked by on her bicycle, joyfully singing out loud. Another had strategically placed whimsical toad figurines in the nooks and knots of an old tree trunk, eliciting countless giggles — including my own. I was grateful for it all, as joy bubbled up within me that I was only too happy to share throughout the day.
Sometimes it’s more a matter of giving to yourself — whether that’s kindness, acceptance, a gentle pat on the back, or a trip outside to soak in nature’s happy waves. Often it’s the gift of time to be still and receive whatever peace and inspiration the moment is offering.
These days I love to show up places, ready to enjoy. For years I’d been on the other end, presenting work-related events of all shapes and sizes, fully immersed in details and checklists, and ensuring a good time was had by all. Now I appreciate the time and effort others pour into a fun and memorable experience. I savor the moment, like enjoying someone else’s cooking and noticing how good it tastes when you didn’t have to make it yourself.
Last weekend we attended a house concert, a fun reason to rollick where the host offers entertainment in their backyard, and nature sets the perfect stage.
This particular concert was the dream of friends who themselves are wildly talented singers and musicians. I was only too happy to relax and receive the magic shared by my friends and Chicago Farmer – a small-town Illinois native with tons of talent – who rocked from their dock. Guests sat in lawn chairs and enjoyed a beautiful evening of foot-tapping melodies, harmonies, catchy lyrics, and the stories that inspired them. Lake Okoboji’s gentle waves shimmering in the background, under a rising full moon.
From that experience, my cup overflowed. And I’ve been sharing all that love in the week since, spreading it around like soft butter on warm bread, to friends and family, to strangers and causes I care about.
As with any vibration, love lives on eternally as it is given and received, then given again.
So whether you welcome in a neighbor’s smile, or a weekly episode of Ted Lasso, grab the love that’s flowing to you however it may arrive. Let it help restore and return you to your balance. Then give it away with wild abandon, uplifting others as you’re so naturally intended to do.
Embrace giving and receiving. Keep the love flowing in its eternal vibration, and watch as it grows exponentially within and all around you.
