Fulfillment in Itself

"Today's Reminder" in my Al-Anon book is about giving as opposed to getting. It talks about how people come to Al-Anon because they want to get relief, essentially. "By and by I found that 'getting' depends largely on my willingness to give--to be of service to others,...". And there is a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote to finish the passage: "Has a man gained anything who has received a hundred favors and rendered none? He is great who confers the most benefits."

Agreed! That it is better to give than to receive is a tired cliche for a reason. It is tired because it is true. So I get this. I should be thinking of what I can give rather than what I want to get from Al-Anon. I don't disagree with this passage, I'd just like to add this thought: In order to give to others, in order to be in a place where you can give to others, you need to first give up a good degree of your own ego. I think there needs to be a good degree of humbling yourself, before yourself, before you can offer anything to others. Mainly, this is because if you do not give up enough of your ego, you will not be able to clearly see others and what they do or do not need.

So, for me, step one in the attempt to give to others needs to be giving up my ego. And to bring it back to the Al-Anon text, my ego is the force that wants to get something. If I can get over it, I can get on with giving. And just imagine the reduction in anxiety that would accompany this type of transformation. No more worrying about what you will get or how what you give will be reciprocated. That's some liberation I could go for.