Are you good at receiving? When someone gives you a compliment does it make you feel amazing or a little awkward? Do you find it easy to accept help from friends?
I only recently realized how utterly terrible I was at receiving! I was uncomfortable with compliments, shy with love, and a little panicky about accepting help from others. Yikes!
Clearly I needed to sort this out! I wanted to attract more abundance and happiness into my life. I would never be able to do that if I couldn’t receive it!
But what was I going to do about it? I wasn’t really sure. I floated around with it a bit until I revisited The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. In it he says “Here’s what to do when you notice yourself deflecting [a compliment]. When someone says . . . [something kind] to you, pause for a moment to register the beam of positive energy that’s being aimed at you. Then thank the person who beamed it your way.”
This image of “beaming positive energy” really helped me understand the personal side of receiving. Receiving is opening your heart to a good quality or kind message, letting it in and really enjoying it. It takes relaxation and trust. More than anything, it takes practice. The more you appreciate the good things in your life, the more you receive them into your heart. The more you do this, the more your heart and mind open to the possibility that things can get better and better for you. The more you do it, the more your joy and gratitude grow.
This is a circle of tiny pine ones that my children collected for me. I’ll make similar circles with the acorn tops.[/caption]
So receiving is about enjoying! Since I realized this I’ve been making an effort to enjoy my children, my husband, and my creative abilities in my studio. I’ve been enjoying my health and the ability to work out in a gym. And you know what? My appreciation of my life is growing exponentially. It’s getting easier to take compliments.
My gratitude is growing too. If you spend time enjoying the good things and letting them into your heart, then gratitude comes easily and naturally.
Before I started concentrating on receiving, it was like I was looking at a beautiful aquarium and enjoying all the shapes and colors of the fish. I didn’t realize I could step into the water and swim with them.
Life can get so much more vivid if you let it.
