Only by learning new skills can we become fully alive. Sharing our talents with others is a good way to show our love. Few of us know how to listen effectively. Too often we interrupt or act disinterested when someone else is talking. In an effort to be noticed, we begin to tell our own stories before the other person has finished.
Insecurity causes some people to insist on being the giver rather than the receiver.
When we let others give to us, and when we accept their gifts in a gracious manner, we may be giving them one of the most important gifts of all. Remember, the joy you feel in giving is felt by others as well. Too often we tend to smother those we love with questions and demands on their time. Each of us has a need for companionship and a need for privacy. Relinquish some of your natural curiosity occasionally and give those you love the right to private thoughts and unshared feelings.