The theme for November is Gratitude and Appreciation.  It is a time for deep personal introspection and for giving thanks for the blessings and the bounty we have in our lives.  It is a time for coming together in love and service, sharing that immense bounty with those less fortunate.

The principle and practice of acknowledging all that we have is one way of letting the Universe/God know that we are open to receive even more.  Being consciously appreciative of all that we have is a powerful way to co-create even more.  Remember, what you focus on grows.  Focusing on, and feeling appreciation for what we have gives the mind the creative cues to notice new and bigger opportunities for even greater abundance.  In doing so we set up a resonant energetic field that easily manifests and draws in even more abundance.

There is one dichotomy at work here, though.  You cannot focus on all that you have and appreciate it with the expectation that in that appreciation you will automatically receive more.  It is a way of saying to the Universe, “OK, Universe!  Thanks for everything I have, but I want more, because I just don’t have enough.  So now give it to me, because I am appreciating what I have.”  There is a subtle but very strong resonant field of lack in that expectation.  The focus is briefly on the thanks, but is much more present on the perceived lack and wanting more.

It’s like giving a gift expecting to receive something in return.  The essence of true giving is that there is nothing expected in return.  It is the joy of the giving that creates the resonant field of receiving something of greater value than what you’ve given.  It just doesn’t work!

However, there is also another part of the equation in attracting more of what we desire.  The ability to unconditionally receive!  We are usually great givers.  We are kind and generous.  From an energetic standpoint we are creating opportunities for so much more abundance in our lives, but may not know how to gracefully and gratefully receive it, unless it looks a certain way.

How many times has someone offered to buy your lunch or dinner and you immediately refuse the offer and, in turn, pay for theirs instead?  Was it because of your unconscious or conscious belief that to be socially acceptable you have to always offer to pay?

What are the limitations you might be putting on your unconditional receiving?

Let’s start with something very simple.  How easily and gracefully can you accept a compliment?  Can you fully receive it without second-guessing the sincerity of the person giving it?  If you are told you are beautiful, talented, gifted, special, fabulous – or any other accolade – can you fully receive that compliment without feeling just the tiniest bit uncomfortable?  Can you fully acknowledge and take that compliment into your heart and being that you are brilliant, gorgeous, and gifted?  Are you capable KNOWING that is who you really are?

Or how about this scenario:  If you were out of work and couldn’t put food on the table, are you opposed to or uncomfortable accepting food from the food bank, your church or civic organization, or even accepting food stamps?  You might do it, because otherwise your family would suffer, but there is more than likely a enormous amount of energy – perhaps shame, disgrace, or something like that you might be feeling at the time.

If you were to win the lottery, is there some definition or limitation you might be placing on that scenario?  Would you first have to pay off all your bills, make sure friends and family are taken care of, a certain percentage given to charity?  Not that any of these things are wrong – but are they a condition of you winning?

And as you visualize yourself winning, have you had thoughts that you’d have to change your phone number, disappear for weeks, if not months, until things settled down?  Are you subconsciously concerned that you might be one of “those winners” who would blow it all in less than a year and couldn’t face the self-recrimination of that happening?

Do you see where I’m going with this?  There are countless ways that when we are given something, or that we dream about or envision receiving gifts of money or abundance, we are already placing definitions and even restrictions on the receiving?

Ask yourself this: Is it ever okay to simply receive and just say thank you – no matter what it is?  Can you do it without any kind of judgment or feelings of discomfort?  Or does that just seem terribly selfish?

Then think about this:  Have you ever tried to give someone a gift and they refused to accept it?  Did you feel their discomfort?  How did that make you feel?  If they were unable to accept that gift – be it the price of a lunch, a compliment or something even greater – how does it feel as the giver when the gift isn’t accepted?  Doesn’t it make you feel bad in some way?  Does it diminish the pleasure of the giving just a little bit?  Does it leave you confused and wondering if you’ve made some sort of social faux pas or erred in some way?  Do you eventually quit trying to be generous with a person who refuses to accept your gifts?

It really limits the joy of giving, doesn’t it?  What if the Universe might also be trying to gift you and you are unable or unwilling to accept the abundance that could and should rightfully be yours?  In my fanciful moments, I wonder if the Universe might also experience some of those energetic frequencies as it rebuffed time and again when you refuse abundance.

This month, I am going to challenge you to become aware of and challenge your limitations and inabilities to unconditionally receive – no matter what.  Whenever you have an opportunity to be given something, even if it is the tiniest compliment, begin to notice your feelings.  Notice how you just might be turning abundance away.  Notice the feelings that come up and begin to question them.  Are they even yours?  Then use the Quantum Soul Clearing Process to eliminate the frequencies and open up your ability to unconditionally receive.

Allow yourself the pleasure of accepting the gift that someone or the Universe is trying to give you.  Practice unconditional receiving this month.  Notice the joy that the giver of the gift has when presenting you their gifts.  Allow the flow and the natural cycle of giving and receiving to flourish this month!

And in the Spirit of giving unconditionally, if you missed it in the previous section, please accept my gift of the Explosion of Joy Transmission in the Personal Message from Michelle section.

Countless Blessings to You!  May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Chanukah!

Michelle