How are you at receiving?

How are you at receiving?

Lately, I’ve noticed that for me a lot has been coming up around receiving. I don’t remember ever thinking about whether it was easy for me to receive or not. Initially, when I started unwinding my beliefs about receiving, I thought I was pretty good at it. I was grateful when I got gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, or Christmas, right?  I soon discovered that receiving wasn’t as simple as that and what was behind my resistance.

Notice I said gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, or Christmas. Why was that the only time I thought I could receive a gift? Then, as I thought about the gifts I had been given just because, I got a pain in the pit of my stomach. Immediately I remember always saying, “you shouldn’t have, you didn’t have to do that, but I didn’t get you anything.” That caused me to look deeper into my beliefs about receiving. I wanted to know why I felt like I had to give something in order to receive. I loved to surprise family or friends with an unexpected gift that I saw while shopping. And yet, I would tell them they shouldn’t do that for me. I realized how much easier it was for me to give than receive. This unwinding just kept getting messier.

If I was going to find out more about my resistance, I would start small, like receiving a compliment. Think about what your response is when someone gives you a compliment? Does it make you uncomfortable? Do you feel like you have to give them an even better compliment? Do you deflect it by playing down what they complimented?

If someone tells you that your hair looks great are you more likely to:
A) Say, “Oh, it looks awful! I haven’t washed it for days!”
B) Say, “It looked better yesterday.”
C) Say, “Oh! I wish mine looked as good as yours!”
D) Say, “Thank you!”

The next time someone gives you a compliment pay attention to how you respond. It will likely be a good indicator of your ability to receive. If you’re deflecting compliments, oftentimes you’re missing other endless opportunities in your life to receive.

I learned that the reason it was hard for me to receive, even a compliment, is that I didn’t feel deserving. On the occasion, I had spent extra time to make hair look good and I knew it looked good, I still didn’t feel like I deserved the compliment.

As I keep unraveling layer after layer of who I truly am, I find more opportunities to receive. I am open to receive in all areas of my life. The Universe is generous beyond our imagination and anything our heart desires is available to us. We must know that we are deserving. Not because of what we do, instead, because of who we are.

When we change the world changes.

When we change the world changes.