How ready are you to receive what you say you want?
Think of something that’s you’d like to improve in your life. Your relationship? Your health? Your finances? Your home?
Now here’s a question for you – how ready are you to receive what you say you want?
You see, there’s a difference between stating you want something and becoming the person who is ready to receive it.
Often the reason we don’t get what we want in life ISN’T because our desires haven’t been granted, but because we aren’t able to perceive how they have ALREADY been granted or receive them when they show up.
One of the best things I learned from one of my mentors is ‘If you have the desire, then the ‘way’ is there to achieve it, even if you can’t see it yet.’
His total belief in that statement helped me to stay open, even when the situation looked impossible. And sure enough, by keeping the faith and staying open, eventually ‘the way’ showed up.
But sometimes we can’t see ‘the way’ because we have a fixed idea about how things should turn out.
It’s like we have blinkers on and just can’t see the opportunities around us. Then we get discouraged and stay stuck.
That’s why, whenever I set a goal in my life, I don’t just ask for the desired outcome, I set the intention of becoming the person who is able to receive that in my life.
So instead of wishing for love – decide to become a person who is capable of attracting and sustaining great love.
Instead of wishing for money – decide to become a person who is capable of attracting, receiving and keeping large sums of money.
You get the picture?
This week an unusual encounter in a coffee shop reminded me of the importance of this.
I stopped to get myself a cappuccino, and while I was waiting to get my
cappuccino and pay, a woman came into the coffee shop and she said to the
people at the counter, do you accept cards? They said yes, but we have a
minimum. She said, oh, well that’s a shame because I haven’t got any cash
and I really would like a cup of coffee.
Before I knew what was happening, I took the money out of my pocket and I
said here, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee. She said, no no no, don’t be
silly and she basically left without getting the coffee. As I thought
about this, I thought wow, this is a really interesting experience because
there are so many lessons here that I think we could mind.
So the first thing is, one of my mentors once said to me, whenever you
desire anything, the fact that you desire it means that the way to achieve
it is simultaneously present. Now I know this might challenge your
thinking, but Doreen Virtue says this too. She said God doesn’t give us our
dreams without the ability to make them happen.
OK, I get a cup of coffee isn’t a dream. It’s not like dreaming of a
house, or a boat, or a car, or a fantastic relationship. But the desire
for the coffee was there, and simultaneously, the way to get the coffee was
present. I was there with the money in my hand, ready to give it to her.
Anything that you currently desire, there is also the way to achieve it. But maybe,
like the woman in the coffee shop, you have set ideas or rules about how
this should come to you.
Clearly for her, she wasn’t able to accept a cup of coffee from a
stranger. Maybe she thought it was going to come with strings attached or
there’d be other obligations. Or maybe she has just been brought up with a
sense of politeness that that’s just not the done thing. So is there a
possibility that there’s something that you want in life, that life wants
to give you and yet because you have a fixed idea about how it should come,
you’re not able to receive it?
The second point I want to make about this story is there’s a big
difference between being someone who is wishing for something, and being
the person who is ready to receive it. In this instance, when I offered
the cup of coffee, her reflex response was, don’t be silly. I don’t think
it’s silly to buy a stranger a cup of coffee. In fact, it would have made
me really happy to do it, and yet her reflex response was no. Who knows
why that was? Maybe it was fear of obligation. But the point is; is there
something that you are asking for in your life or your business, whilst
you’re asking for it, you’re simultaneously having a reflex response that
is pushing that thing away?
The third point is this, if you want to have a lot in life, probably the
best muscle that you can develop is your receiving muscle, your ability to
receive. The question is; how good can you stand it? How much can you
tolerate? It’s really important to start practicing being able to receive.
For example, if you’re asking for a lot and yet the amount that you can
receive through is just like a pinhole, you’re never going to be able to
get all the things that you’re asking for. Now think about it, in this
instance, it was just a 2.50 cup of coffee, and yet that was too much for
that woman to be able to receive.
So my invitation to you is to examine your life, and are there places in
your life where it shows you have a limit on how much you will allow
yourself to receive. Now a great place to start is with compliments, and
particularly women. We have a way of brushing off compliments. Someone
says, that’s a great color on you, and the reaction is, oh, this old thing.
Or, you did a great job and someone say ‘that was amazing’.
But you reply ‘oh, I feel like I could have done better.‘
This week I want you to practice receiving in any way that you can. Once
you start to do this you’ll notice that there’s lots of places in your life
where things are being offered to you and your job is to just be ready to
receive it. The best way to do that is to say, yes please, or thank you.
So what do you think about this? Are there place in your life where
you’ve been asking for something, and yet now you recognize you’ve actually
been at the same time pushing it away? How good are you at receiving? I’d love
to hear your comments below!
Bernadette! This is COMPLETE awesomeness and something I’ve been pondering. I just launched my coaching practice and website and recently received my FIRST email from a fan telling me how SHE LOVED what I was doing and how it had such a profound effect on her. My reaction overwhelmed me! I actually started crying (this might have been partly due to that time of the month, I know TMI, but it’s true). I felt humbled, grateful, and even a little scared! Like, I’m ACTUALLY DOING THIS and people are RESPONDING! Leading others is a HUGE responsibility! If we want to do this, we certainly have to be ready to receive it.
Awesome as usual Bernadette! And spot on for me this week. Thank you so much for sharing x
I’m ready to RECIEVE!!!!!!
Brilliant! This very much resonated with me! I will indeed open up for: “Yes, I am ready to receive!” (I actually did say thank you to a free tea at a café meeting today, although my first instinct was to pay despite the offer..)
Hey, I’m ready to receive this message! Perfect timing, thank you.
I made a comment today on my Facebook page which said “you know it is possible, but do you believe it is possible?”
I think my inability to receive what I believe possible is going to be my next comfort zone stretching goal 🙂
I am ready to receive. Thank you.
I have always known that I sabotage myself, in every aspect of my life. Consciously or not, I realize that because I feel I don’t deserve to be rewarded/happy/accepted that I have been denying myself even the smallest (pinhole!) gratification. So, sincerely, thank you. You have put it in such a way that right now I feel like I have just been smacked upside the head, and finally see the wall I was walking into.
Here is a story for you Bernadette:
Two and a half years ago I was single and looking. My friend Margaret said, “Write down the kind of person you are looking for and the universe will respond. Just know that your intentions are powerful and you have to be ready to receive what the universe will bring you.” A month later I met my fiancee who was everything that I described on the list. I Was Ready for her, but if she had come a few months earlier I Would Not Have Been Ready. (Like the old Beatles song)
Since then I have tried to articulate my business ambitions the same way, though I think one does need to be ready to receive what one is asking. I asked for an income of one million per year, but I don’t think I am ready to run the business that would make a million a year in its present form. Thus I have modified my business goals to smaller more achievable goals, like introducing a consultant side of my business, or focusing only on Bathrooms and Kitchen renovation.
Your video is spot on and I thank you.
Dan de Angeli
Boston
Thanks, Bernadette. This is just the advice I needed today.
Bernadette, I often check in because your videos are so manageable to watch. Time is always of the essence and I love and appreciate how you give good info in a short space of time, and you come across as so friendly and approachable. Was gutted when you were unable to attend a Womens Seminar in London last year after I found your videos. Once again this one is spot on. 100%. Like the gentleman above, it’s one thing to write in your subliminal programming wishes ” I want to earn £10,000 a month” when you don’t have the capacity to manage “5,000” a month. So I really appreciate this and plan to flex my muscle on what I can really believe for as compared to what I say I want. Thank you once again for an excellent video and sharing with us.
This is absolutely brilliant topic this week,thanks for sharing!
It’s funny that you posted this video. Yesterday, I had an incredible offer come my way from a man who has been in show business for a very long time that if my son and I write a 15 minute comedy routine, he would help us book our first gig. My son turned the offer down, but I’m going to write because this is part of my dream.
Love the simplicity of how you presented this. The coffee was a great analogy. I often relate (even with my own grown children) that people don’t feelworthy of receiving BIG things in life. Or even a small kind offer from a stranger. As always these reactions stem from “some thing” that was said or done in the past. Until one uncovers that “something ” the block will remain there . I work daily on telling myself and other we are worthy. As always thanks for sharing . Xo
I don’t know if this is an English thing but I know I used to be very bad a receiving compliments until I got told off one day. You have raised a very valid point that’s been put across with the usual professionalism and clarity.
Am sitting here with my cup of coffee (!)……was given the tip many years ago on saying “Thank You” on receiving a compliment – and believe me, it makes an amazing difference to how you feel and go forward! Good on you for sharing as well Bernadette 🙂
Loved this weeks Bernadette TV. Been asking for more financial abundance and your beautiful words helped me realise that I am more open to receiving but I’m not quite 100% there yet, but a lot closer than I was. I get so much out of your clips, thank you.xxx
This is one of the best videos on receiving I’ve seen. Thank you!