An Invisible Currency
The give and take in our actions and relationships is known in the East as karma. Although the currency of this exchange is invisible, we can think of our relationships as entailing investments and withdrawals, as in a bank account or a business. If I withdraw more than I invest, there will be trouble.
For example, an executive is travelling a lot and his secretary deals with a huge amount of work while he is away. Instead of acknowledging how much his success depends on her loyalty and accuracy, and the responsibility she is fulfilling, he remains obsessed with his sales figures. Such a situation can only go on for so long. Usually, there'll come a moment when, after giving so much, the lack of appreciation becomes intolerable. The loyal worker will suddenly quit, perhaps leaving chaos in her wake.
Appreciation, to an accountant, means an increase in the value of assets. In the same way, appreciation within relationships increases their durability and value. It's a positive energy, which, when invested well, adds to our stock of that invaluable asset - goodwill.
How would meditation affect the above scenario? When we make the right connection with the divine, we are able to draw on unlimited stocks of goodwill. This produces a generosity of spirit from which appreciation of others radiates as a natural consequence. If the boss had been a meditator, he could not have become so disrespectful and unfeeling.
And the secretary? It might seem paradoxical, but meditation, by helping her to maintain her self-esteem internally, would free her of any need for her boss's love and appreciation. Her attitude would be that she was doing the work for her own satisfaction, and for the feeling that what she was doing was right and must bring its own return in its own time.
If at some point her boss were suddenly to recognize what a jewel she was, and change his behaviour towards her, that would of course be fine. She wouldn't be begging for it, but her patience and tolerance would increase the chances of its happening. If she decided there was a better use of her time and energy elsewhere that would also be fine. She would leave according to her own standards of decent behaviour, without an outburst of rage or recrimination.
But for as long as the job still suited her, she might decide to stay put, rather than be pushed into quitting - perhaps into a worse situation - by feelings of resentment and frustration.
Meditation helps us to keep our cool, greatly increasing the chances that we will judge situations correctly and act in ways that build a good future, rather than destroy what we have already earned.