Symbiotic Stories are real anecdotes told by you and other Simbi community members. Tell us about your Simbi deals and experiences with other members. If your story is published, we’ll credit your account with 150 simbi and you’ll receive a Simbi Star Badge. Email your entries to hey@simbi.com
Weeks ago, I hastily typed out a message to a stranger on Simbi named Rebecca, asking for a service swap. I give one hour of my writing time. I get one hour of astrology reading.
Instead, Rebecca simply asked for some simbi (Simbi’s internal currency). What simbi I possessed I’d earned from starting a profile and recommending a few friends. I hadn’t really done anything to earn those Simbi or a chunk of Rebecca’s valuable time.
What most people would have taken as an nice break actually freaked me out a little. Truth is, I have a giving addiction. I need to know that the people around me are well and happy. My habit of people-pleasing usually deprived myself. I never realized this until after I met Rebecca.
The question “why” nagged at me like a cartoon rain cloud. Why was she doing this? Did she do this for everyone? Why didn’t she want a trade? Was she trying to drum up business? The voice of the trickster, familiarly clothed in self-doubt. The trickster wanted me to think I didn’t deserve kindness. Well, guess what? I went ahead and met with Rebecca anyways.
I was amazed. She was kind, attentive, and gracious. After the reading, I thanked her for her help. She said it was her pleasure with a twinkle in her eye and a smile in her voice. She truly took pleasure in giving me a service. I paid in gratitude.
I learned an important lesson. I began to allow people to give to me. In turn, I gave trust. Others genuinely enjoyed giving, no strings attached. I realized that someone on the other end might need to give to see their own value and meet people.
My Simbi deal with Rebecca helped me find a place where I know that I deserve to receive.
It’s okay to let others enjoy the pleasure inherent in giving. And, (cue the drumroll) that it’s fun to get stuff.
Now, I maintain a healthy balance between giving and receiving. What fed my hunger to give for so long was the fact that the people around me allowed me to share. Recently, the voice of the trickster has been pretty quiet.
I deserve to receive. And even beyond that, I’ve learned that receiving is—oddly enough, its own form of giving.
