Are you familiar with the principle of giving and receiving?

The idea is simple: like a continuous flow of energy, what you receive must always be in motion. Not stagnant. Giving creates the space necessary for receiving – receiving brings something to give. Forces constantly balance each other out.

Bring this idea to the scale of a project, of a business: to receive the fruit of one’s labor, one must also be willing to give a part of oneself.

What are you willing to give to bring your projects to life? And how do you avoid falling into self-sacrifice?

If one wishes to develop a business, it will be interesting to consider a quantifiable gift that respects our values and fits into our daily lives. By defining a percentage of what one is willing to invest in a project, we can easily assess the investments made. This is a very important tool to remain objective about our actions, especially when a project is close to our hearts and emotions and impatience come into play! The investment can be financial, a percentage of our time, or even actions taken outside of our comfort zone. A gift certificate, a boosted Instagram post, participation in local events, investing in a heated mattress pad,…

The return may be indirect and delayed over time. Accepting this will help us detach from the outcome. That is why a gift, even if strategic, should be devoid of quantifiable expectations, as it risks leading to disappointment and frustration and perpetuating the feeling of giving without return.

Although the investments of others may inspire us, it is important that each person gives according to their own scale. We emphasize this notion of percentage, which evolves according to life stages. Everyone has their own strategy: accumulating small regular actions or grouping our actions into a more substantial gift. From experience, we recommend consistency, although some more significant investments will sometimes make a difference in the future of your projects.

If the game of giving and receiving requires a little practice, at AXO, we are convinced that it is worth it!