Sometimes in the name of being good we forget to be good to ourselves. We put so much energy into meeting other people’s needs that we fail to meet our own. And yet that doesn’t change that we have needs; it just pushes us to deny them or to find manipulative ways of getting them met.
For the longest time, I felt certain that good people put everyone else first. They stretch themselves, bend over backward, and even completely exhaust themselves if it means making everyone else happy.
I also thought giving would naturally invite reciprocity. Inevitably, after months of martyrdom, I’d feel frustrated that other people weren’t returning that kindness and meeting my expectations. The truth is that it wasn’t their job. It was my job to take care of my needs.
And it’s the same for all of us: only we can make the choice to receive.
Knowing firsthand how challenging it can be to find a balance between giving and taking, I was excited to read Amanda Owen’s new book The Power of Receiving.
On the surface, it may seem like a book about putting yourself first, but it’s so much more than that.
The Power of Receiving is about being able to receive without feeling obligated or indebted. It’s about finding the courage to be your authentic self so that you can invite other people’s genuine acceptance. And it’s about identifying and receiving the dreams that will fulfill you, professionally and personally. (more…)