The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.

The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite. – William Shakespeare

How much love can you give away before you run out? Is it even possible to run out?

What does that mean?
A slightly more complete version of the quote is as follows:

My love as deep [as the sea]; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.

While this is one of the most recognizable romantic love stories of all time, I believe that the quote can be used with a broader definition of love.

In short, the quote says that the love you give is infinite. That implies that you don’t have a fixed amount, no daily gift allotment which cannot be exceeded. You have available to you all that you care to give.

It also says that the love you have is infinite as well. No matter what, there is always something left. As deep as the sea, and as wide as well. Love is all that and more. Both romantic as well as all other varieties.

In the broader reading of the quote, the act of giving gives back to us. Think about that for a moment. The giving of love to another, even if not expressly returned, causes us to have even more love. I believe it, do you?

Why is sharing your love important?  
Again, the quote is from one of the most famous couples of all time. Yet the giving of love and the love you have, or even get back, goes far beyond the romantic love they had for each-other. How did they feel about their families and their friends? Did they run out of love for them because of their love for each-other?

For those who are pet people, how you feel about your pet. Goldfish might not get the same response as cats or dogs, but how do they fit into this quote? Is there a maximum amount of love you can give them? Do you ever worry about running out, that there will ever be a time you have none left?

Sharing our love with others is an important part of the fabric of society, as well as for interpersonal relationships. Think for a moment of a society without the sharing of love, without close personal relationships, and then tell me if you would want to live there.

Love, both figuratively and literally, makes the world go around. The sharing of love keeps it spinning, and at the same time, keeps us all grounded. It is the glue that holds us together when we are falling apart, and it does the same for groups of people of all sizes.

Where can I apply this in my life?
I imagine that all of us share some love with others, and that all of us have some room for improvement in this aspect of our lives. Who do you love the most? Is that even a fair question? With so many different ways to love and to show or give love to another, how does one compare to another?

Do you give more love to your closest friends or family, or to the family pet? Sometimes the answer is telling, isn’t it? There have been times in my life when the family dog was the clear winner. But that says more about me than it does about the dog, right?

Now consider all the people in your lives to whom you give some flavor or type of love. How do you feel when you do so? Yes, there is an impulse towards upset if they don’t return certain kinds of love in the way we desire, but if you take the “me” out of it, how does it feel?

In my experience, as well as those of my closest friends, the feeling has been described as pretty awesome. Remember, this includes things as “small” as smiling at a stranger, holding a door open for someone else, or having a kind word for someone who looks like they’re having a rough day.

Even these tiny little gifts of the smallest type of love make you feel good. And that is what I was trying to explain. And what of the larger gifts, and the stronger types of love? I find they are even more rewarding than the others. The more often I give, the better I feel.

Also, did you ever feel like you just couldn’t give any more love because you had run out of love? You might have run out of patience, but did you ever run out of love? I know I have not. And I have found that the more I give, the more likely I am to find more coming my way. And from the most amazing sources.

What can you do to give a little love to others? When can you start doing so? What are you waiting for? You do know the perfect moment will never come, right?

Do what you can with what you have, and do it now. Learn from what you accomplish, make adjustments, and then do it again. You’ll run out of patience long before you run out of love.

From: Twitter, @Quotes_on_Love
confirmed at : http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet#Act_II 7th entry, Juliet, at the end.
Photo by Nicolas Raymond of www.freestock.ca

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