You think you don’t do this…(but you do).
You fight the good things that come your way.
I know. That sounds nuts. Like, who would do that?
But the odds are, you do. I do. We all do.
Last week, I urged you to be conscious of the way you responded to compliments. I told you that a compliment is a gift, given to you by another. When you refuse it – or diffuse it – you are returning that gift. Unopened.
Some of you responded, telling me – happily – that you’ve learned that lesson. Many of you, though, are still working on it. I know. I get that. It’s harder than it sounds, isn’t it?
Still – good for you for working on it.
Now — are there other such gifts that you’re turning down as well? Probably.
How about these?
A coworker’s kindness when she offers to help with a project.
A stranger’s help who offers to lift a heavy package or open a heavy door.
A friend’s comfort when she offers a hug, a cup of coffee, a listening ear.
Sound familiar? Yeah. I thought so. Those too, are gifts, my friend.
Sometimes it’s even more subtle than that, though.
For instance, how often do you find yourself thinking something like this?
Oh that’s good, but it you know it’s not gonna last.
I did a pretty decent job that time, but you know it was just luck.
Everything worked out today, but that was probably just a fluke.
And then, our family favorite:
God gives me just enough to hold my head above water, thank goodness.
We say that all the time around our house. And until fairly recently, I didn’t think anything about it. No one else did either. We meant it as praise.
It DOES seem like we all get just what we need to get by. It DOES seem like we get just what we need to get through, to make it, to survive.
So that made sense to me, and I was quite grateful for it. Grateful to ‘just get by’.
Until about a year ago when I began learning more, and thinking more, about the power of mindset. I listened to a series of speakers, read a number of blogs, thought about the way my own life was going.
Counted my blessings. Looked at my (self-imposed) limitations.
And realized that the Universe is full of abundance and wonder, and that good things come to us all the time – if we’ll SEE them, and receive them. In fact, I believe that the loving force that is behind the creation of all energy and matter WANTS us to receive that abundance in FULL.
Call it what you will – God, Spirit, the Universe, Higher Power…we are meant to be fulfilled. And then some.
Look around you at the power and glory of Nature. Nothing is done half way, is it? Nothing is “just enough”, is it? Why should it be any less so, for us?
The secret to finding that abundance, in part, is to LOOK for it.
But another part of the secret is to stop pushing good things AWAY.
Think about it this way.
If you push away all the positives (compliments, good news, a sense of pride, offers for help, awareness of beauty)…
…but accept all the negatives (criticisms, bad news, feeling bad about mistakes, focus on what’s not so beautiful)…
How do you think you’ll end up?
Sick. Unhappy. Defeated. Certainly not Confident.
All in all – it’s not good.
So the next time someone offers you a gift – of their time, resources, strength, patience, support – receive it well, with grace.
And the next time something GOOD happens to you (or comes FROM you), pay attention. Watch your thoughts. FIGHT the urge to discount and minimize. ACCEPT the good – as is. With grace.
Betcha things start getting better.
A favorite quote of mine came to me from a client I love who’s active in AA. (Twelve Steppers have a ton of ’em. And they’re some of the best.)
If you change the way you look at things,
the way things look will change.
Got it?
Try it.
*****
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