Recently I have had many conversations with others regarding their profound ability to give to others, but a huge challenge when it comes to receiving. It can be said that if you have a challenge with receiving you generally have a challenge with giving also. By this I don’t mean you need to give more, just be able to give well or better.

If you want to be better at receiving in my opinion you must become better at giving.

A gift may come in many forms, a wrapped present bought from a shop; a hug; a smile; a donation of some kind; a free service or a helping hand to those in need….

There is so much expectation in society today, especially around Christmas in the exchange of presents. And not just at Christmas but any form of giving has the illusion it must come with some form of exchange, or expectancy that the person or external circumstances you are giving to, you will get some form of reward or receive something in return from that person or circumstance.

Whilst it is known that if you give out, you will receive, it quite often takes a different form from what you might expect.

The art of giving MUST be unconditional, with no attachment to receive anything in return. If you can give without want, this is truly a gift to the world. You are sending your energy out into the world and to others.   There has to be some form of acceptance that when you give you won’t get anything back from that person or circumstance.

Perspective

If you look at your life, whom do you most often give to? How often have you thought to yourself, do I get anything in return for my gift? Was it worth it?

Do you have anyone in your life that is constantly giving to you, and perhaps you forgot to appreciate him or her, or give something back. I promise this has happened to all of you at some point in your lives, whether you’re aware of it or not. It’s so easy to breeze through life taking, but without fully receiving.

To take something implies that you haven’t fully acknowledged where it has come from, or how it got into your hands.

Whereas to receive there is some form of acknowledgement to a person, whether in person, or in writing.

How many of you will receive presents this Christmas but not take the time to fully thank and convey gratitude to the person that went to the trouble of buying and wrapping and delivering your gift. I remember my childhood of writing thank you letters, and it’s not until recently that I realize the importance of them. How many of you still receive thank you cards? I would like to bet it’s not as many as you used to get 20 years ago.

The thing with unconditional gifts, is that when you give your energy freely in whatever form it takes, you send it out into the world, and quite often it will make its rounds, and then come back to you in a totally different form, from a different place, that you aren’t expecting.

This Christmas, its time to take stock; 

Take more accountability to giving without expectation, no matter who the person, or the challenges you may or may not have with him or her. Send each gift with love and know that the energy has been sent out to them, whether or not they fully receive it. Your job is done. It’s their job to do the receiving, and just know they may never fully receive your gift, BUT THAT’S OK.

Then be aware of all the things that others have done for you. Focus more on the people that have brought a smile to your face, and made you laugh this Christmas, the people that went to the trouble of buying and wrapping your presents. Be thankful instead for what you have already got, because their will always be something. Practice the art of saying “thank you” in person to everyone that had brought a smile to your face, whether that was something they said, or did, or something they brought you, these are the real gifts, and worth treasuring, and acknowledging in life.

There is so much power in the word “Thank you”, that not only are you acknowledging another person for their actions, but you are truly receiving their gift, and integrating the energy that they have sent out to you. That energy will integrate within you. Your subconscious patterns will start to shift and you will be subconsciously making decisions so that more of that will start to show up in your life.

How amazing could life become if effortlessly, more gratitude and love flowed between you and the rest of the world?

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and wish you a very prosperous 2017.

Enjoy the New Year

Fran