GIVERS AND TAKERS - WHICH ARE YOU?

I have always admired people to whom giving seems to come naturally. They are the people who we like to be around and have around us. Everyone knows someone who wakes up and bakes cookies or helps you out whenever you need a hand. They seem to be people who have time for everyone.

A lot of these people are parents, others are the selfless volunteers who give their time and energy to others. Regardless of who it is in your life, such a person makes time for many people and generally is the glue that holds a family, a group, and sometimes also, a community together.

Conversely, there are the Takers. These are people who seem never to pass up an opportunity to take something. Whether it is your time, your work, or whatever is available or that they want, they are present with their hand out. Such people have never seen something 'free' that they would not like to have for themselves.

These are the type of people who seem to go through life looking for someone else to do the work, pay the bill, treat them to meals, loan them money or generally give them a free ride.

Everything around them seems to empower their sense of entitlement. These are the people we say, still have the first dime they were given. You come to think of them as people who will never be satisfied, never have enough. In general, they have nothing to spare for anyone else, whether it is time, support, encouragement or love. 

I understand the Givers, and admire them, especially since there seem to be fewer of them than there used to be. The Takers on the other hand, I cannot tell you much about...except I like to get as far away from them as I can...and encourage you to do so too.

Givers and Takers, which are you? More importantly, which do you want to be known as. Something to think about.