The words in the title of this week’s experiment are part of a quotation from Dr. Raymond Johnson in the book “Origins” by Danielle and Olivier Follmi.  As I read the words, I found myself wondering about how often many of us are able to give to others things that we have difficulty receiving ourselves.  For example, when you offer praise or kindness to someone with ease and openness, are you as comfortable receiving the same from someone else?  When you experience compassion for someone, do you have the same amount of compassion for yourself under similar circumstances?

It’s not unusual for us to have a tendency to be more generous with others than we are with ourselves.  For this week’s experiment, I invite you to explore the ways in which you allow yourself to receive the same qualities of respect, compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience, and humor that you offer to others, to whatever degree you may do so.  Particular areas where many of us have occasional difficulty giving to ourselves, or receiving from others, are being patient when we make mistakes, laughing with ourselves when we do something silly or unintentional, offering ourselves compassion when we suffer, soaking in the delight of others, receiving thanks.

There’s no right way to do this experiment.  It’s a journey into curiosity and self-awareness, where you have an opportunity to notice how you respond when you receive what you give.  Also, it’s a chance to notice the differences in how easily you may give certain things and not others, and how easily or uncomfortably you may receive certain things and not others.

Another aspect to the quotation at the beginning of this experiment is the powerful ripple effect of the respect and other gifts we give others when we treat them well.  We set up a field of good will that touches everyone around us, and we are included in that field.  For this week’s experiment, also notice the quality of your interactions with others when you focus on expressing respect, gratitude, appreciation, patience, and general friendliness.  Notice how these attitudes and the ways of behaving that emerge naturally from them not only affect those you encounter along the way, but also how they affect the tone of your own state of mind and internal experience.

As with all the experiments, play with this one.  Choosing to be more mindful of how we interact with others, and noticing the ripple effects of these choices, can help us have a direct and active impact on our quality of interpersonal life; friendly, open interactions during a day can become a source of real nourishment and renewal.