You can only give what you have, according to Leo Buscaglia.

We’ve all got a list of things we’ve been meaning to get to.

Books, movies, albums, countries—yet, alas, for one reason or another, we just don’t get to them. Excuses, priorities, and a lack of conviction are to blame.

Instead of using a hammer and chisel to slowly chip away at the list, it grows like weeds in a neatly manicured lawn, never quite overtaking the blades of grass, yet enough to notice.

A book I’ve been meaning to read, which I’m currently fifteen pages deep into, is Love: A Warm, Wonderful Book About the Largest Experience in Life. Why have I been meaning to read it? Somewhere in the +200 pages lies a quote that’s been etched into my brain for years. With some downtime, I got finally got around to finding its source, thus this book.

The reason for this short writing isn’t because of the quote that’s been etched into my brain for years but rather a new one I found on page fifteen:

“You can only give away what you have. That’s the miracle. If you have love, you can give it. If you don’t have it, you don’t have it to give.”

It’s very similar to the saying that hurt people hurt people, for the opposite is true—happy people share their happiness with other people. You and I can only give what we have.

But George, what if I don’t have love? What if I don’t have happiness?

I don’t have the answer, but I can offer an idea.

Love is to appreciation; appreciation is to thanks.

You and I may not have everything we want. But if you can focus on what you do have and what you have the power to change, that appreciation, when it’s genuine and in its purest distilled form, turns into thankfulness.

And I’d argue thankfulness is pretty damn close to love, if not the same.

Or so I think,

— George