Giving needs to be balanced with receiving
One of the areas I am working on at the moment is to balance my drive to get things done and take action, with the art of receiving and allowing!
Having worked in a very masculine oriented work culture with a strong work ethic I find it very tough to let go, ask for support and receive more.
Many of us are more comfortable being in the role of givers (often cited as the path to happiness and fulfilment) and find it hard to receive compliments, offers of help and positive/constructive feedback.
But when we receive and are open to allowing more good stuff into our lives, we are in a much better place to continue to give, without ending up exhausted and resentful.
And when giving is balanced with receiving then our personal and business wellbeing will thrive.
Today I wanted to share with what I am doing to restore this delicate balance ….
Getting into the habit of gratitude – what you pay attention to grows! I am being more conscious and aware every time I receive something whether this is a simple thank you, an invitation to an event, a meal, feedback or a personal recommendation for a resource. Lynne Twist in her book the ‘Soul of Money’ recommends gratitude and celebration as a part of a daily practice of sufficiency, to help overcome the fear of scarcity or ‘never enough’ (which just drives us to do and want more).
Wisdom and inspiration – allowing myself time every morning to get in touch with my higher power, source energy or inner wisdom and seeing this as a better use of my time than checking emails and social media. I know when I’m feeling stuck I often get my best insights and ideas when I just sit quietly. In a recent interview Deepak Chopra explained that he meditates for 2 hours every day so that he can download all the ideas for his books, talks and programmes – imagine the possibilities!
Money – opening up new wealth channels so that money can flow into my life from different sources with less effort. As well as my coaching and consulting work I have developed a residual income stream which leverages existing resources (no need to create everything from scratch) and I am generating income as an affiliate of other company programmes rather than creating my own.
Support – asking for support rather than doing it myself. Although it can appear to be quicker to just do it yourself I know I get quicker and better results when I receive help, whether this is from a supplier, a colleague, family member or a friend.
Personal Development – this year I’ve invested in several programmes for my health, wealth, and professional development. As a result, I’ve received the latest skills and training in a short period of time, without figuring it out for myself. I can now share this with my clients, as well as reinvesting that knowledge into growing my business.
Most importantly, finding this balance and wholeness, in my business and life, through giving and receiving enables me to be in a better place energetically to support my clients.
