Sharing is Caring......

There are those among us who share freely and those who do not. There are those who give without hesitation and there are those who do not. There are those who have not much to give but do any way and those who have more than they could possibly need and choose to hoard it all away. The way in which people share or not reveals a lot about their character.

First, I'd like to speak to sharing in literal terms concerning tangible things. These things that we posses that others would find great joy in having a bit of it. For instance, an old family recipe, divisions of plants from your garden or it's bounty, a bottle of wine, or even a homemade meal (to name a few). These may not seem like great gifts, but if they are given and shared with love and kindness, they are treasures just as you are for doing so.

 Some other things that are shared are items of means, such as a transportation, a job opening lead, financial assistance, advice on how to do something, or a new friend with common interests.

Then, there are the most important gifts we share: the ones in which come from inside ourselves, for instance our minds, our hearts, our passion, our vision, our guidance, and even our time. All of these things are intangible and priceless.

When you happen upon individuals who for whatever reason cannot find it in themselves to share in any of the ways stated above, you will notice that they do not posses kindness of heart. They will tend to be the first ones there to take from you (and others) and the only thing they seem to be able to share easily are lies and sad stories. This is a pity. They know no peace, They know no connection. They are too wrapped up in themselves to consider others. By all means, please try as best you can to stay away from this type of person, for they will leave you feeling drained and confused.

Whatever and whenever we choose to give to another, the payback is tenfold. It comes to us in the satisfaction of helping someone (or in some cases, many) out. The joy of sharing brings peace and harmony to everyone involved during this type of transaction.

So if you are a sharer, please continue and know that in doing so, you bring comfort to others. And if you find that you are not accustomed to sharing, please give it a try. Step out of yourself for a moment and give freely of yourself, whatever it is. I guarantee wonderful results. Be careful as to not overindulge another, as this can turn out have a negative affect on all involved, leaving you resentful and them needy and spoiled.

In closing, please let me say that I am always grateful for these opportunities to share with you, dear reader, my thoughts in these posts with the hopes that you may find peace of mind in each one. Thank you!

One great big hug after another, for one another.......

I am and have always a been a big hugger. It must be the Italian in me (100 percent!). It must also be from being from such a large family. You see every time we all got together, which could be up to several times a week, I went around and gave every single person in the room a bug hug. We all did. Big hugs and big smiles.

When you are allowed and encouraged to express yourself in this very personal way as a child, you find that it becomes second nature through out your adult life. You also find that it becomes a necessity. You feel compelled to give out hugs freely and you in turn accept their warmth in embrace openly.

There is no other feeling that I know of that can replace what a hug does for your mental well being. I cannot completely express all of the emotions that are awakened with the act of hugging, for they are so vast and encompassing. But what I can share is that they release a multitude of endorphins into your system bringing you to a happy place (a peaceful resting stop, if you may).

I write about this subject today, dear reader, for the ones who have not had the opportunity to be given the gift of hugging. By this I mean that they were raised devoid of expressing themselves on this level of connection. To the ones that find it hard to let people get close on a physical level. To those who find it most difficult to let go and wrap their arms around another in a long, warm, and sincere embrace. Not being able to connect on this level and therefore not able to experience the pure comfort and acceptance with such closeness.

When you do not know how to allow others to get close to you in a physical way, in many cases, you also may find that your emotional output is also stunted and that you cannot get as close to people as you might like to because you have not be taught (from infancy/childhood) how to do so. The result is a lack of trust and connectedness to rest of the world around you.

While we innately as humans are born with the desire to feel warmth and comfort, the act of hugging is nurtured into each individual. With much repetition, we associate hugging with feelings of expressing love. These hugging connections are made in the brain at the earliest of developmental stages. Continued exposure to this activity strengthens ones' desire to perform this loving action.

My hope is that you all, dear readers, give and receive as many hugs as possible and if you have difficulties with this issue, that you can find some way, deep within yourself to reach out to those around you and give it a try. Once you feel the power of a true hug you will forever be a believer. Hugs heal. Hugs give comfort. Hugs show acceptance. Hugs are love.