Giving and Receiving - Both as an Act of Love. The truth is, money cannot buy love.

Giving and Receiving - Both as an Act of Love - Why is it so important to be able to give "gifts" to the ones that we love the most? Is it to see the happiness that a gift may bring? Or perhaps just letting them know that you care and love them. Whatever the reason may be, one thing is for certain; Giving is also receiving.

When you give something to someone, and do it from your heart, you in turn, automatically receive something back each and every time you give. You may receive appreciation, gratitude, a lifted spirit, or maybe a warm heartfelt hug, which are all gifts that are priceless.

Why do we like to give and receive gifts so much? Because whether we are the gift giver, or the receiver, both persons can be filled with many positive, happy feelings. If you give, from your heart, your gift back is knowing that you helped someone, made someone's day better. When you get a gift from someone, you feel appreciated, important, and special to that person.

We all think about gift giving around the holidays, and at times feel pressure to make sure that we get a gift for everyone on our "list". Sometimes, our "list" is so long that we overspend, and overwhelm ourselves. We begin to dread buying all of these gifts! When you look at your list, can you honestly say that you would be giving a gift to each and every person on that list that came from your heart?

Giving is not something that should cause a person distress! We often think that "giving" means "buying". True giving is from the heart. It's something that makes you feel good! If we remember that when there just seems to be too many to "give" to, we can change our focus. Focus on what we love to give and receive.

Have you ever received a note from someone, simply giving thanks, that meant the world to you? Have you ever had someone make you something, and it meant more than anything money could ever buy?

The truth is, money cannot buy love. True giving comes from your heart. Giving and receiving are both forms of gratitude and love. Giving and receiving are so important because they are one way that we can say "I love you", and don't we all want to be loved?

Jameel King is a freelance writer and mental health professional in Indiana. Jameel conducts group sessions on self-esteem, communication skills and coping skills.