The Art of Receiving: Why It’s Harder Than You Think (Especially for Women)
We all love to get gifts, don’t we? Yet, the act of receiving can often be harder than the act of giving. Whether it’s a compliment, a present, a favor, or a meal, receiving can be met with an unnamed resistance. We might brush off a compliment with, “This old thing?” or “I got it on sale.” We say no when we really mean yes when someone offers help or a meal, often fearing we’ll burden them. That weird gut feeling, that sense of not deserving “the thing,” “the time,” or “the words,” can creep in. We might even feel we must give in order to receive, or to be worthy of receiving. Let’s face it, receiving can feel uncomfortable.
Feminine energy embodies intuition, openness, and receptivity, so why, as females, does receiving seem so hard? Conditioning. Cultural, historical, and societal influences have conditioned us to believe that we are only worthy of receiving if we are selfless, if we put everyone else first, and that our value comes through service and sacrifice. We ARE natural nurturers, but that does NOT mean we are supposed to sacrifice ourselves, our health, our happiness, or our money to the point of depletion. When we do this, we’re not in our power; we’re giving it away.
Many of us feel we have to “do it all.” We believe we must be successful in family, career, appearance, and socially — in short, we have to be freaking perfect. Otherwise, we can feel guilty about receiving help, praise, or even rest. Our worth is not tied to our performance, our looks, or our ability to “make others happy.” This can be especially true if our mothers struggled with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, or were simply not very present.
Receiving is not selfish or greedy. Embracing our feminine means being vulnerable enough to receive. True feminine energy recognizes that being open to receiving (help, love, guidance) is a beautiful strength, not a weakness. Receiving is about being open without the need to constantly “do” or “control.” Yes, it’s vulnerable, whether we are receiving from others or ourselves. Giving ourselves the gift of listening to our intuition, the gift of time to just be, the gift of opening to Divine wisdom can help us heal, be present, and allow more abundance to show up.
Let’s open ourselves up to the magic of receiving. Begin to notice signs of gifts being given to you, even if it is just a dime you find on the ground. Pick it up and feel gratitude. The next time someone compliments you, say thank you without being followed by a “but” or a “brush off.” The next time someone offers to help, say yes. We can always pay it forward by doing something for someone else. Let’s pay it forward by showing others how receiving really works.