By allowing ourselves to receive, we are given the gift of seeing through another person’s eyes.Giving and receiving are part of the same cycle, and we each give and receive in our ways. But we can lose our balance when we try to be too controlling on either side of the cycle. On the receiving end, we may feel that we don’t deserve the effort made if what we gave was easy for us to share. But perhaps there is a different lesson there for us. We may be receiving not only gratitude but a chance to see the world through the eyes of another. We may be learning that it doesn’t diminish its value just because we gave quickly. Or perhaps the universe is giving us an example to hold close to our hearts, to encourage us on some future day when our generous act of giving is not met with a visible show of receiving. When we can allow ourselves to receive and present, we do our part to keep the channels of abundance open for ourselves and others.

Sometimes we may find ourselves struggling to respond to others’ gifts in the same ways — like responding to an expensive present with something equally expensive or feeling like we have to throw a dinner party for someone who has thrown one for us. But when these are done out of a sense of obligation, their energy changes from something that shares to something that drains. If this sounds familiar, we can decide next time to allow ourselves to receive with arms, minds, and hearts open and say thank you.

Accepting a person’s gift is a gift in itself. Sincere appreciation for their acknowledgment and effort joins our energy with theirs in the cycle of giving and receiving and nurtures all involved. If ever we are still having difficulty, we can decide to allow ourselves to be conduits for gratitude and accept on behalf of a loving, giving universe.