Give to live
The song Live Till I Die by the Swedish artist Elliphant popped up in my earbuds while I was doing the laundry. Ellinor Olovsdotter, which is her real name, sings:
You die and never live live live
Cuz you never give give give
There is so much truth in these words.
If our main focus is to get attention, to be "successful," we will never be fully satisfied. We may be successful in the eyes of others, but are we truly successful? Do we feel satisfied? Do we feel alive?
Most likely not.
Why? Because it’s a mindset that will never cross the finish line. It’s a constant hunt for more, a search for that last “perfect fix” that will solve everything.
It’s tiresome. It’s a hunt in which we are both the hunter and the hunted. It’s like in the song Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones, to include another musical reference:
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
Any form of receiving begins with giving. We get back what we give. Often in ways we could never have planned or aimed for. It's quite logical when you think about it:
If we always hold on to "our stuff" and never give anything away, how can we gain anything? How can we receive when our hands are already full?
It’s impossible.
The more we give, the more we live.