I open my eyes and ears, and the miracle is there… …the grass greens as I watch it… …newly-arrived migrating birds chomp away at my feeder and serenade in the trees… …pale buds pop on every branch… …and, best of all, peepers (baby frogs) sing out their ethereal harmonics day and night.
Nature is, once again, restoring herself.
But it is not by merely viewing this unfolding of creation that I am moved … rather, it is the receptivity of it that brings delight. What I mean is, rather than maintaining an arm’s length disposition to the scene, I am more deeply engaged and affected when I drop into the truth of my inherent involvement in Spring’s rejuvenation process—I, too, am a part of this natural world; I, too, am growing anew and bursting in ways I haven’t before; and I can choose to receive and embrace the conversation with it.
As you know, receiving, even from a landscape, is the other side of the coin from giving. However, many of us, especially the caregivers, aren’t quite as adept at receiving and even feel downright uncomfortable about it. We’ve been so thoroughly taught that “It’s better to give than to receive” that it can translate into feelings of selfishness and guilt if, heaven forbid, we’re the ones being given to. I don’t think this was the intention of any of the great masters when they taught about giving and receiving. I believe that there is a grace in becoming equally adept at both sides of the coin—when we receive well, we have more to give, and so forth. It’s the geometry of the infinity, after all.
At its core, receiving well has to do with three things: self-love, humility and gratitude. We could speak for hours about self-love but for the sake of brevity, take a moment to honestly examine (perhaps on a scale of 1 – 10) how much of yourself you can FULLY accept, warts and all. Most people come up short of a 10 because of their predominant “inner critic,” a voice that puts worthiness in question, which was typically planted there long ago by elders. As a way to begin the release from that voice, try asking some internal questions: How useful is that voice to who I am today? Could I replace that voice with a kinder, gentler version that’s ALL mine – one that comes from nurturing rather than disapproval?
When we’re busy giving, it can sometimes appear that we’re the ones in control and positioned somewhat better than whomever we’re administering to. Ego can be disguised in this way but humility comes into play when we realize and accept that we’re also vulnerable human beings who don’t always have it together, and that we, too, have needs that will require attention at some point. This relaxes the hierarchy of the ego and puts us on a level playing field with virtually everyone, making receiving love and assistance that much easier when the time comes.
Furthermore, the act of becoming vulnerable enough to allow another to perceive our weakened state is a gift in and of itself to the caregiver. This isn’t easy for everyone – we all know people who have fought tooth and nail to maintain their proud persona, even as their bodies are obviously declining. I so appreciate how my grandmother, a private and independent woman, gracefully allowed me to turn the tables and let me care for her in her final days. Her humble gift to me was to accept her vulnerable situation and allow me to give to her.
Lastly, gratitude walks hand-in-hand with humility down the pathway of graceful receiving. From a humble heart, we’re given the sublime opportunity to appreciate not just what is being given in the moment but what has been given all along, even the circumstances which may have caused us pain. When all of life is received as a gift, that gratitude deepens our capacity to love and the desire to give back even more. This flow is why it’s so important to carve out space within for the grace of receiving—so that we may be more filled with wonder at the world around us and better at gifting it with our love.
Which brings me back to the world outside my window; it’s time for me to give back to my feathered friends and refill the feeders. May you fully receive the blessings of this season in full, joyful gratitude for the beautiful world around you.
Hope Fitzgerald is an open conduit through which she receives clear information as an Intuitive Dowser, Spiritual Life Coach and healer. Since introducing the Infinity Wave to the world in 2010, she launched the Wave Energy Center for Conscious Evolution, and has run many workshops and appeared on dozens of international Internet & radio shows to share its mysteries and applications. Hope also guides spiritual groups to potent areas around the world, including Peru, South Africa, France, England and Ireland. During these soul-filled adventures, she teaches ways to communicate with landscapes, believing that when the powerhouse of the human heart interacts with a highly-charged site, an alchemy occurs that is guaranteed to cause a shift in consciousness. For more info: https://www.we-infinity.com/
