‘Tis the season of giving but when it comes to gifting, are we giving from our hearts without expectation of receiving, or is there something in obligation about having to buy something for everybody at this time? The more commercialized our society has become around the holiday season, the more we’re really manipulated into giving, giving, giving, without a thought. Let’s take a brief departure from the unconditional giving we all take part in and focus on its polar opposite: unconditional receiving.  We spend most of our lives being better givers than receivers but the time has come to embrace the willingness to receive.

But what does it mean to receive unconditionally? What are the boundaries in unconditional receiving? Many of us tend not to be open to this idea; while we find no issue with unconditional giving, the idea of receiving tends to make us uncomfortable. Imagine that your car has run out of gas and a friend offers to give you a ride home. You’ll probably start to fret in your mind about how much of an inconvenience this is to your friend, especially because your house is in the opposite direction from his. Did you, however, ever stop to think that your friend is giving you a gift with no strings attached…unconditionally giving? It’s in these moments that you need to stop, accept the gift for what it is, and be willing to receive it. The reality of the situation is that in order for you to get home, you simply must be willing to receive from the ride. Many of us don’t even realize the sort of price tag our minds attach to the receipt of a gift. We unconsciously take responsibility for someone else’s feelings or potential expectations, failing to realize that these assumptions may not even be real in that person’s mind; they may only be in your own mind. And even if that person actually has an expectation, you have to break free of that burden.  In doing so, you lead them to be responsible for whatever expectations they may have, leaving you to only be responsible for your own stuff. This awareness and willingness to receive, without concern of expectation on their part or your feelings of obligation to somehow reciprocate, will alleviate a great deal of undue stress.

Release the unnecessary stress from your life, and allow yourself to receive…without the burden of conditions. Simply stop and accept the gift without imposing your own perceptions of what might be expected back. Keep in mind that there’s something to be said about the law of attraction, and thus, the ability to be a good receiver is crucial to your ability to manifest in the world.