True gifts come without ties, without expectation, without want or return...
I am giving my granddaughter a paddle board for her 10th birthday and am very clear that the giving comes with ties. Before I bought the board I had a conversation with myself and her parents, “Am I certain I am ready to give a gift with ties?” YES! Think about gifts you give. Do you expect appreciation, a thank you letter, gifts in return, or an expected behaviour? Can you think of a gift you have given where you have no expectation of any kind? This would be giving in the truest form. When we give with expectations, we block the natural flow of life. I think this speaks to why it may be so difficult to receive. If I am giving with ties, then the gifts I receive must come with obligation. (Well, that is how my mother “gave”…. “All I do for you and this is the way you behave”). I learned that as long as I never receive, I would never be indebted to anyone.
I was humbled when I came across this “States of Being” list from Dr. Kathianne Lewis. I invite you to circle all the words that resonate. Is it balanced, with equal number of words from both sides? If you are honest with yourself, I bet you see where there may be areas for improvement; ways in which you might want to create more balance.
Ernest Holmes wrote, “The Universe can give us only what we can take.” Life is always pouring into our lives. Good is everywhere. Understanding this is transformational. (Check this link out: Waterfall of Life) We all latch onto stories that block the flow. How do I know? … Do you have all the money you could ever want? How about all the love, relationships and intimacy you dream of having? Do you live your perfect and right creative expression, or have work that brings you satisfaction and joy in every way? Are you experiencing unbounded health, feeling strong and flexible, with unending endurance? I doubt it!
So, let’s change. Let’s step into the Flow of Life and accept all the Good wanting to express through our daily living. Here is how to begin:
Know what you like: money, appreciation, help with chores…
Stay open by practicing “receptive states.”
Accept compliments, gifts, feedback.
Recognize and count your blessings.
Be spiritually authentic: don’t be something you are not.
Release inhibitions about receiving.
Repeat often!
Copyright (C) 2021 Centre For Inspired Living - Campbell River. All rights reserved.