In order to get what we want in
life, we have to be willing to receive it when it appears, and in order
to do that, we have to be open. Often we go through life with defenses
we developed early on. These act as barriers, walls we needed at one
time to feel safe but that now serve to shut out desired influences,
like intimacy or love. So an essential part of being receptive to what
we want is to soften these barriers enough to let those things in when
they show up. For example, we may spend a lot of time alone as a way to
protect ourselves from being hurt by other people, but this prevents us
from meeting new friends.
Another obstacle to our receptivity can be our tendency to believe that
we have to act aggressively in order to achieve our desired goal. These
types of beliefs can give us tunnel vision, so we fail to see, and be
open to, other opportunities. But becoming receptive often involves
softening our defenses and a willingness to remain open to possibilities
outside our immediate realm of vision.
If we are looking for love or friendship, it means first looking within
ourselves to see where we are shut down and not getting too fixated on
where we might find the love we want. In this way, we become more open
as individuals and more expansive in terms of what we see as possible.(Daily OM)