With the holidays quickly approaching, I was given a lesson in energetic gifts by a wise and much-appreciated friend.
I think we can all agree, gifts come in all shapes and sizes. They can be perceived as good or bad, fun, exciting or kind of crappy.
We have all had a gift that makes us question how much the giver really knows about us. I have experienced it when receiving “bad” gifts. Have you ever felt bad after receiving an offering? Today I want to shift your perspective on gifts, I want to share how they can be given physically or energetically.
Our emotions can be likened to energetic “gifts.”
We give and get “emotional gifts” daily. We “get” anger by being yelled at; we “receive” criticisms. We can also “offer” love through kind words of encouragement.
Have you stopped to think, what am I giving today? What “energetic gifts” have you given? Was it good or bad?
Was your emotional state when giving a response caring, kind or mean and vindictive?
We exchange energy every day. Consciously or subconsciously, we give and take energy daily. We do it with money, actions, words, and perspective.
I pay for a latte in hopes of a quick fix of energy, I pick up trash off the side of the street to feel like I helped keep my community clean. I tell my children I love them and reinforce the love I feel for them by telling them how proud I am of the way they handled a struggle they are facing in their lives. I share my perspective and the way I see the world. We tend to give what we would like to receive.
Have you ever accepted a gift that you regretted? You got something you did not want or like? Someone shared their view of the world and that point of view sits in the back of your closet taking up space. You accepted it so you feel the need to hold onto it. You may look at it and cringe but instantly backtrack and think it isn’t all that bad and maybe I can keep it there for just a little longer.
If you are willing to take on items that make you wince, what are you accepting energetically that shows up in the same way?
Do you know how or when to give those back? Did you know you can protect yourself from them?
Energy affects us daily, by gaining a new perspective it can help you give back energy that prevents you from personal growth and ultimately effects how you show up in society.
Think of a time you were given a “gift” of shame, did you like it? Did you try it on to see if it fit you? How did you feel about stepping into that shame? Was the feeling yours to begin with? Ask yourself, is this mine? Does this fit my life and how I want to see myself? By asking these questions you begin to see how the gift could actually be a bad fit for your life. Step back and recognize that seeing people’s reactions as a gift can help prevent you from taking on unnecessary baggage. Why carry around something you do not like?
Did you already accept the energy? No worries! Through prayer, self-awareness, and the right questions you can always give those gifts back! You have the power to change those gifts from undesirable, dust collecting items to little pockets of love and light being sent out to the universe. By respecting yourself and saying thank you but no thanks you give those gifts back to the right source. You give yourself space for more of what you do want and stop saving space for what you don’t.
You can always turn away what you do not want to accept. Cherish your space! You decide what resides in your home. Give yourself permission to give and receive only what you want and need.
As always I hope that this read helps you navigate through these waters we call life.
With love, light and acceptance always
-Erika-
