The Two-sided Gift

Photograph by RR Franklin

The Saluyero 1; Sayulita, Nayarit

‎"It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life...that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

In recognition of the truth and true beauty of this:

No man can sincerely love another without loving himself.

No man can sincerely teach another without learning himself.

No man can sincerely share faith with another without growing in faith himself.

No man can sincerely give hope to another and not gain more hope himself. 

In essence - as I have written before - you cannot truly give without allowing yourself to receive. Always give sincerely of yourself and you will do so with a receptive spirit by default; a truly spectacular part of human nature. 

Put the wind in another's sail, and yours will be filled as well. 

-Ronda Rae Franklin

Open Your Arms and Welcome Life

How often do you not act, and later you wish you would have?The next time you are faced with a situation where you'd really like to open yourself up, but then find yourself fighting internally against your pride or shyness - remind yourself you will never be in that exact position again. It really is now or never - with everything, everyday, every moment. Give all of you all the time. No regrets. This doesn’t give you permission to act out foolishly; this gives you permission to offer the best of yourself all of the time. 

–Ronda Rae Franklin

Photograph by R.R. Franklin

Taken in Sayulita, Nayarit

Open Your Arms and Welcome Life

Free your feet, and your soul, from the roots of shame, anger and bitterness.

Don't allow a feeling to define your actions. 


Embrace, explore and confront them. This 


doesn't give you leave to feel sorry for 


yourself; it gives you permission to be human.

But when the root of the emotion is no longer 


in front of you, then it's time to put the feeling 


behind you as well. 

Your emotions belong with the root of their 


existence - you don't. 

The roots will grab hold of you. 

Free yourself by giving up the emotion instead 


of you. 

-Ronda Rae Franklin

Photograph by Ronda Rae Franklin

Sayulita, Nayarit