I tend to divide the world constantly into two groups.  This interesting article starts with a view about dividing the world into two groups: the givers and takers. The beginning is a great story about how a man running a tennis camp shares a very simple concept with the kids, and changes behavior the very next day.  Read the article here.

Are you a giver or are you a taker? Can givers be friends with takers? Can takers masquerade as givers? Can takers be happy?

I know a lot of givers. What I like about them is their generosity, their view of doing the right thing, and how they put their needs to the side authentically. They give when no one is watching.  They’re genuinely happy for your success.

Takers are tiring: they feel depleting to be around. You feel you have to hide your wins because you don’t want them to feel bad. You’re not your best self because you’re defensive. Everything gets defined by how they feel.

One lesson learned for me is that I am not my best self when I have takers in my life. Reciprocity is one thing, but feeling like you’re the one who’s always giving is exhausting. While it’s never easy to remove takers in your life (they can be family members, long time friends), it does change the quality of your life.

Something to think about. What are you surrounded by?