How Happily Do You Receive?

When someone compliments you, how do you respond-- gruffly, shyly, or wide-grinned happily? Or do you cancel the compliment out with a minimizer ("it's nothing!") and point to your flaws instead? When someone gives you something on no special occasion at all, how do you receive? Do you refuse it, or say a hasty "thank you" but feel obligated to pay it back in return? Or do you just openly, gladly receive with wide open arms, or both hands at least? You see, how you receive goodness from others and from life is directly related to the amount of Abundance in your life -- not just in money, but in love, and health, and wellbeing in general! (#DiosaWays tip!)

Last August, when I decided to give away the original version of my Diosa 101: 3 Everyday Ways to Unveil the Goddess in You at my Diosa Ways site, before it went live for exclusive distribution with Amazon, and I posted about it in my Facebook Wall, a younger friend messaged me to ask when it will be available for sale instead.

My friend, a fellow single mom, has been struggling financially, I know, and I kidded her when I responded, "Why do you want to buy it when I'm giving it to you for free?"

What she said next cut me, as I suddenly remember how I was just a few years ago,"Don't be offended but I don't like being given to, as if I'm being pitied for my miserable state. I like to buy to show the world I'm independent and don't need anyone to give to me, and I feel good knowing I can afford it." Who said anything about my pitying you for your miserable state? It didn't even occur to me! I was saying to her in my mind. But, reflecting back on how I was before, I could relate, and I decided to just nod and accept it, but shifted to a lighter tone, "Well, if you want to be your own Diosa, Diosas receive Good happily, you know." She smiled ruefully and acknowledged, "I'm not there yet. I'll buy." And we left it at that. Okay, as you wish, and I just blessed her silently in my mind. I remember this now in this approaching Christmas season of gift-giving. I have learned, over the course of the last 6 years, that Abundance can't really come in when I'm fighting it off by my refusal to receive Good and insisting on earning it or paying for it. To the outside world, I might appear independent and self-sufficient, but in my inside world, I am actually starving myself from all the Goodness that God, Life and the Universe want to offer!

In spiritual/energetic terms, the principle of giving and receiving freely, from the heart, is what works, because underneath these is the fact that your heart (and soul) expands when you give freely and receive freely as well. With a bigger heart (and soul) comes a bigger capacity to give and receive more Goodness, as you become both an open receptacle and channel for it! This is how it operates.

When you limit your giving by counting the costs and benefits, you are not truly giving, but doing business for yourself.

When you limit your receiving by canceling or refusing it, or accepting it on the condition that you will pay for it or earn it, you are limiting your capacity for flowing Abundance in your life as well!

In both cases, the energies feel constricted, conditional, and tight.

But, when you give freely, openly, and happily, the act alone expands you, and that expansive energy is what Abundance is attracted to.

When you receive, freely, openly, and happily as well, you're stretching your ability to receive and signaling to the Universe that you're ready to receive more of that Goodness you're receiving, no matter how small it seems. As you believe and insist -- since like energies attract like energies -- that is how Life and the Universe will respond to you also! So, if you desire more Abundance in your life, practice happily receiving

goodness in your life daily starting today -- compliments, unexpected favors and kindnesses, opportunities that suddenly open up for you, help of any kind, provision through others -- and enthusiastically thank all the givers for it!

They are God's, Life's and the Universe's ways of telling you you are worthy, deserving, and Loved, just as you are. And your happy gratitude is your way of telling them you desire more and are ready for more of them in your life!

(image by Kim Stiver, Pexels)