You Get What You Give

Tuesday 9th June, 2026

My Dear Reader,

I was 7 years old when my grandmother told me: “Darling, in life, you get what you give.”

For decades I struggled with the concept because I always believed that it intuitively felt selfish. That the phrase made it sound as though we only choose to behave in a certain way because we expect something in exchange, or that our actions are driven more by personal gain than positive impact. For me, this was, and remains, unfathomable because I truly believe in the power of human kindness and connection.

Having said that, in the years that have passed, as an entrepreneur, I have come to see this in a different light. An altogether more joyful and generous one. The light of reciprocity. And, this version tells me that patience, consistency and tenacity, when applied with positive intention, really do bring around the energy that you put in the world.

It’s been five years of the empathy journey and I am surprised every week by the speed with which empathy, and these letters, are rising. There were many moments when the impact felt impossibly small and the progress impossibly slow, and yet here we are. Throughout it all, I remind myself often where I started and why, and what I truly want to give to the world, and to you. And today, I want to encourage you to do the same. To not ever give up on the intentions you started with. To find reasons to revisit them and remember exactly why you started this “thing”. And then go back to that. Don’t let capitalism, or unpaid invoices, or a quick fix solution scare you to leaving it behind, because it’s not ‘giving back’ what you expected, exactly when you hoped it would.

Right now, it’s hard out there and the first half of the year has been unexpectedly complex and slow for many of us. I know what it’s like to not have the cash flow you need to do what you want to do - or need to buy - and I know how long some days feel. But I also know that everything happens for a reason and that all we can really control in life is our own choices and actions. So, be patient my friend, and if you know that you truly behaved with positive intention, you know enough.

Today I feel ok with my grandmother's lesson. I think that you probably do get what you give. And this doesn’t mean that it becomes your why for doing it, but simply the fuel to a better night's sleep knowing that good intentions sown for others, will always find their way back to you when you need them most.

Keep giving, because whatever you get back, and whenever it happens, you will always know that you are on the right side of humanity’s track.

In empathy and until the next letter,

Mimi

P.S If this is your first letter, The Empathy Letters are personal, simple, candid letters that prompt a new idea, share a stranger's story, or simply offer some refreshed empathy in your week. Never a newsletter, these letters - similar to a ‘penpal’ of old - are from me to you, and I would love your letter in reply, every now and then.