Ayni*The Path of Reciprocity

If you tune into the way human beings give of themselves, you will see evidence of it everywhere, as you go food shopping, in airports, at Starbucks. You will see people being kind, lending a hand, flashing a smile. By focusing on these things, some of the denser emotions that are present to all of us are somehow lightened.

I find that the intentional attention to what is good and true about most humans---in fact, most mammals---the need and desire to connect which leads to sharing and giving and kindness----brings the same back to me in return. Expecting the best does clearly call on the best to emerge. It is key to being a good therapist, teacher, parent, coach---that we learn to expect the best of the people we serve.

Many people recommend not tuning in to the news, since it brings so much negativity. Rather, it is recommended to insulate one’s self from the pain and suffering. I have not been able to do that entirely, since I am very sensitive to what is going on around me. I feel connected to the world. So I tune in just enough to the outer happenings, and more to the inner—to my response to the wars. the government nearly shutting down, to the devastation of the Japanese people, etc.

I have found myself over the years rocking back and forth between tuning out and tuning in so much that I want to cry. I am continuously dancing with the balance of inward and outward focus. This too is all part of the Law of Reciprocity, which is an aspect of the Law of Attraction

There are two important lessons in the Principle of Reciprocity. The first is - "If you give, it will be given back to you." And anyone who has fully given of themselves knows you get more back than you give much of the time. Apply this to your business and you will thrive.

The second lesson is harder to master - "Learn to give without hoping to get anything back!" Ah, you say, that is different. Reciprocity is about giving and taking. It is. And when you give without hoping to get anything back, you are giving wholeheartedly. This sets up a very powerful reciprocal response toward you.

I will tell you where I learned this amazing principle in an entirely new and embodied way. When I lived in Peru in 2005, I met many Quechua Indians, gentle and noble indigenous people of the high Andes. The word “ayni” is a Quechua word that means reciprocity, give and take.

When ayni is at play, an exchange between neighbors goes something like this: “I see that your field needs plowing, and I can help you with that. And we can get to know each other while we do it. We can celebrate together.”

“Yes, thank you. I accept your offer. I will help you plow yours afterwards, and we can celebrate together again.”

These people may not consciously know about the Law of Attraction, yet they have this powerful tradition of ayni that guides them in their dealings with one another.

Learning to trust the way this universal law expresses itself is essential to living a passionate life where you give of yourself freely, and attract unending abundance. If you are constantly worrying about what is in it for you, the power of Sacred Exchange is missed. Scarcity prevails, and you scramble any signals of appreciation that are key to living in flow.

Try this exercise for one week, and watch how much you are able to shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance---and watch how actual financial abundance quite naturally follows:

1. Begin your day by writing dow
5 things you are truly grateful for. Let’s say you write “my beautiful home, the warm weather, my children, my spouse, my health.” Of the 5, allow one to stand out. Let’s say it is “my children.”
Dive deeply into the appreciation of your children. Really relish in the fact that you have been blessed with them.
2. Give of yourself in some way that this feeling of appreciation inspires you to. You could donate to an orphanage, call a friend who is having a hard time with a child, and extend kindness or support in some way. Be creative. Feel what you have been given and respond in kind.

This is a deceptively simply exercise that brings profound results!