I was recently reminded how hard it can be for some of us to receive, especially when we are used to being the giver. A young woman I love shared a story about borrowing a dress from her cousin, only to have her cousin offer it to her as a gift. Her first instinct was to say no because it felt like too much, but I could see so clearly that the dress was meant for her, and that accepting it would also allow her cousin the joy of giving.
That conversation brought me back to a lesson that I had to learn in my own life. For many years, I felt most comfortable showing up for others, supporting them, and being of service. What I did not realize at the time was that receiving is its own kind of practice. When we resist help, generosity, or thoughtful gifts, we may be blocking someone else from stepping into their own giving energy.
This episode is about the natural ebb and flow between giving and receiving, and how different seasons of life ask different things of us. As I move through this big transition, I can feel how much easier it becomes when I’m willing to say yes to the people who want to help. On today’s Wise Walk, we are looking at what it means to receive with grace and let support come in without guilt, resistance, or the need to explain it away.
- At this moment in time, do you feel that you have mastered the flow of giving and receiving?
- Do you feel weighted in one identity more than the other?
- Is there an opportunity for you to create more balance between giving and receiving?
- If you are in a phase of life where you feel like you are receiving all the time, can you look for opportunities to give?
- If you have been a giver for most of your life, where can you open yourself up to receive more?
- How can you practice being gracious and simply saying thank you when gifts of giving come your way?
- What is something in your life that someone gifted you, but you resisted receiving?
- What was going on in your mind or heart that made you feel it was inappropriate to receive that gift?
- As you surface that awareness within yourself, are there ways you can look at the situation differently?
- As you reflect, do you feel that resisting the gift was the right decision because it was not meant for you to receive?
- Are you resisting because you do not feel worthy?
- Can you recognize that receiving with grace empowers others to step into their role as givers?
- Where can you eliminate the stress of feeling like a gift is too much?
- Are you assigning a monetary value or emotional weight to a gift that the giver is not assigning to it?
- How can you receive a gift in the way it was intended and allow the giver to give in the way they intended?
- Is there an item, gesture, or gift in your life that you can cherish not just for what it is, but for the lesson it represents?
- What gift symbolizes a phase in your life where you witnessed your own growth?
- How can a gift remind you that you are more than what you have been allowing yourself to be?
- What else can you invite into your life by showing up and saying yes?
As we move through our own ebbs and flows, may we keep finding small ways to give, receive, and acknowledge each other right where we are. Please reach out, share what’s on your heart, support whoever you can, and stay open to receiving support too. I’m sending good energy your way, and I look forward to connecting with you again on next Thursday’s Wise Walk.
In this episode:
- [03:56] When you grow up being a giver, you can neglect learning to be a receiver.
- [05:37] The importance of knowing that you are worth a gift.
- [07:13] By not receiving the gifts we are denying the giver the satisfaction of sharing that gift.
- [09:14] We are all better when we balance out the ebb and flow of receiving and giving.
- [10:14] It’s beautiful to know that you are worthy of giving and receiving.
- [13:01] I love the awareness of creating this ebb and flow of giving and receiving in my life.
- [14:17] Our life and our needs are going to always ebb and flow. The more we can help out and receive when we need help, the better the ebb and flow of life.
- [15:23] I decided to graciously accept help that will set me up for success with my new home.
- [16:39] I’ve gone through so many moments where I give. It feels good, but this is my moment to receive.
- [17:35] Honor where you are in the ebbs and flows of life.
Memorable Quotes:
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- “Receiving with grace is a beautiful thing when you know that you are deserving to receive as well as to give.” – Mary Tess
- “You are empowering others to be givers when you receive with grace, when you receive with love, with kindness.” – Mary Tess
- “Honor where you are, wherever it is, and know that this cycle of giving and receiving will continue on.” – Mary Tess
Links and Resources: