We all know that giving is a good thing. However, not much is said about the power of receiving.

Giving and receiving is what life is all about. If you look at nature, you see giving and receiving in all their dimensions. Khalil Gibran beautifully says:

“….Go to your fields and your gardens, and you shall learn that it is the pleasure of the bee to gather honey of the flower, But it is also the pleasure of the flower to yield its honey to the bee……”

I was speaking to a Young Presidents Organization (YPO) group in Hyderabad, India, sometime back and was describing the power of giving concept when one of the members shared an experience with me. He once was part of the leadership of a Round Table club and gave a big cheque from the club to Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa took the cheque, looked him in the eye and thanked him for his wonderful, generous donation. She then put her hand on his shoulder, paused, and after a moment said something that really affected him. She said, “Never forget to thank the people who allow you to serve them.” In other words, thank those people who receive help.

There is beauty in giving but if there’s nobody to receive, there can be no giving. By receiving you are providing the opportunity for the giver to give. Receiving can thus be a form of giving!