Discussion

A few of the dictionary definitions of the word "receive" are listed below.

�       to act as a receptacle or container for

�       to assimilate through the mind or senses

�       to permit to enter

�       to be a recipient

�       to be a home to visitors

Relationships are about giving and receiving, and the best gift is to receive. It's difficult to attract love into your life, and it's difficult to keep love going, if you are not willing to receive.

Some of us are too busy making a living to take time to receive. Or, we deflect as an automatic reaction. Or - I see this one a lot - we are subconsciously trying to prove that we don't need anyone. There are many reasons why, and if this concept applies to you it's good to determine what your "whys" are, the more you know about your whys, the easier it will be to receive.

Most often it's an old habit that we learned as young children when our love was not received by the significant others in our lives. Sometimes this happens in normal, innocent exchanges between parent and child. In more extreme cases, it happens when growing up an environment that was unsafe, unpredictable, or in some way unbearable. And sometimes we pick up this habit in adulthood as a reaction to an unpleasant experience; typically it's a protection against getting hurt again. Each time our love was not received in the way we needed or intended, we shut a bit of ourselves off from others and bury our hearts as a self-defense mechanism. Eventually, this impacts our capacity to receive.

Whatever the cause, NOT receiving is a formidable barrier to the kind of wonderful relationships we dream of having. And it's one of the easiest of relationship barriers to remedy. All you need to do is notice when you're pushing something/someone away, and then start practicing different ways to receive.

It's important to note that receiving is not the same as taking. Taking means seizing, grabbing, demanding, using force to get what you want whether it is given or not. Receiving means being open to all of life, especially the good stuff.

Coaching