We are taught very early on the importance of sharing freely, and we are rewarded for being generous. But how many of us generous givers are comfortably receiving?
Receiving does take many shapes and forms: It could mean a gift, a compliment , help , or even receiving love. And we all have different levels of comfort ( maybe discomfort is a better word) receiving , depending on whether it’s coming from a stranger or someone from our close circle.
Personally , I ‘ve been terrible at receiving . Especially when it comes to compliments. My ears ring, my pulse races and my face literally heats up if and when someone says says something nice about me .. to me. Almost immediately , I praise them back even more !
Recently, someone volunteered a different approach to me : by not being a gracious receiver, I am diminishing the joy others have in giving to me. I even risk hurting their feelings by not properly acknowledging their words. That thought, of hurting someone intentionally is unbearable to me. Another thought that really challenged me is this”: If all we do is give , who will be there to receive ? – And I know there are professional only-receivers out there, another conversation altogether! –
So now , I am practicing a smile and simply saying thank you after anything nice is said to me. I am good at handling – and justifying -negativity and harshness directed at me. Now I am learning to handle kindness from people, even those that aren’t in my inner circle.
Most of us are long overdue in choosing to become gracious receivers! Today is a perfect day to start . Imagine yourself opening your hands. and accepting a gift/love/compliment/help from someone else .It may be hard at first , but stick with it ! Imagine feeling a smile light up your face as these words come from your heart through your mouth: Thank you !
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