The Art Of Receiving
by Sharon Warren

Receiving: verb (r-sving)
To admit; to take in; to hold; to contain; to have capacity for; to be able to take in. To allow or to accept.
 
Recently, four of us were celebrating the January birthdays of two girlfriends at a Scottsdale restaurant. We had a wonderful lunch, followed by going to see Calendar Girls. I arrived at the theater first and purchased my ticket. I had no idea that Birthday Girl #1 wanted to gift each of us movie tickets. Friend #3 was having “receiving” issues, sputtering in protest, “It’s your birthday and you shouldn’t be buying tickets for us!”  I responded, “It is her joy to give and you are taking away her happiness if you don’t receive this.”  She got it instantly—and accepted the gift graciously.
 
Receiving is an Art Form
 
Why do we have receiving issues? Most of us give easily, but often have resistance to receiving.  There is an art to receiving, and once we start holding our self in a good feeling place, we come to recognize and appreciate that it is a joy for people to give. Receiving becomes more natural and comfortable as we practice allowing, letting it flow graciously, which simultaneously honors the giver.
Everything is vibrational. It's easy to find your vibrational place on most subjects if you imagine having a vibrational stick or meter on a variety of topics, which are described in my book, Magnetizing Your Heart’s Desire. When you pick up a stick that says giving on one end, then the opposite end of the spectrum will be receiving. If you find yourself vibrating in a place where you are uncomfortable receiving, whether it be compliments, gifts, etc. then understand that you are disallowing the true gift. You are stepping on your own hose and disconnecting from the Source.

The well-known Biblical quote says, “Seek and you will find, ask and it shall be given, knock and the door shall be opened. However, to complete the circuit of giving and receiving, you have to walk through the open door of allowing and receiving. We live in a vibrational universe and everything is magnetic. It’s the Law of Attraction in action. Abraham-Hicks has reduced the universal creation equation to three parts:

1.      The first step is: Asking.
2.      The second step is: Source responds and answers.
3.      The third step is: You allow it.

Can you imagine saying thank you to God, and God having receiving issues?!  Can you conceive of God not feeling worthy, or not deserving of your expressions of appreciation? How ludicrous would that be?! Become conscious of opening your heart to receive—don’t automatically feel like you have to reciprocate. Simply BE a vortex and pure open channel for receiving.

"Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy."  — Jacques Maritain

Initially, you may feel tender and vulnerable as you open up to graceful receiving. I invite you to actively engage in receiving by taking baby steps. Once you understand the principle of cause and effect, you see how being receptive is part of the magic for the giver. Be willing to receive (without feeling you have to give back). Embrace it. You get to modulate and mold your experience of receiving. Know you are worthy and deserve to receive. Resistance or reluctance keeps you from receiving fully. Receiving is not passive. It is a conscious, active, dynamic choice. Many people have past conditioning that gifts have to be “earned.” There are some things that can’t be earned in life and receiving is one of them. Practice the art of letting it in. It is an art form you can play with to feel the movement energetically. Some people see gratitude as a weakness. Or, perhaps you feel someone is doing something better, nicer or spent too much money on a present or you have difficulty receiving praise. That comes from “old tapes” or beliefs of not being good enough, which results in receiving issues. As Dr. Phil says, “How’s that working for you?” As a deliberate creator, you mold and shape your life energy.

When receiving begins to feel familiar, I invite you to allow it to flow more rambunctiously! Let
receiving be alive and vibrant! Do bold rituals that will anchor it that feeeeeel really good! It might be looking in the mirror and exclaiming out loud, “Today I openly received! God bless me!” Play with receiving in ways that are memorable—that might include big out loud Yeehaws or doing cartwheels. Have fun with it! Value it! Treasure it! Welcome it! Say Yes!  Know the art and joy of your receiving matters to the giver! Be dazzled by your newfound ability to receive! Look for new opportunities and open the floodgates to receive! Create sacred space for receiving easily and naturally! Give the gift of receiving to yourself! Nurture it! Appreciate it! Let yourself truly feeeeeel the joy in receiving! Accept it now! Feeeeel the sweetness of it! Amplify it! Magnify it! Absorb it! Expand it! Celebrate it! Let it be contagious! Become exuberant in your receiving! It strengthens the heartfelt bonds for both the giver and receiver! 

"Today, declare to the Universe that you are open to receiving all the abundance it's waiting patiently to bestow. Each day offers us the opportunity to learn that as well as giving, it is blessed to receive with grace and a grateful heart." — Sarah Ban Breathnach

Let the magic begin as you shine on!