ACCEPTING YOUR GOOD

Before I begin, I just want to mention that I have started a new blog under this profile to specifically deal with issues regarding romantic love. This was due mainly to the responses I got regarding my recent series on romantic love. It is called Love Potions, and hopefully I will be able to begin posting on it this weekend.

I have difficulty accepting compliments. This has been pointed out to me recently by several people. Now, if one truly Love's oneself, why would one hesitate or feel funny accepting a compliment?

I am not the only person that has this problem. Many people have trouble accepting compliments. And I think alot of it has to do with the fact that in our culture, we often form bonds to each other through our dissatisfaction with our lives and ourselves. It is perfectly acceptable to make a negative statement about one's self, but not a positive one. Many of us feel that we are only being honest about ourselves when we are ripping ourselves to shreds. How dare some interloper come and tell us what is great about ourselves! And how can we accept the compliment without seeming like we are tooting our own horn?

Of course, there is a difference between flattery and compliments. Flattery, to me, always feels like an obligation, or that there is an ulterior motive behind it. Which leaves me to ask myself, do I flatter? Do I give compliments as a way to curry favour? Is that why I expect it in other people? What we see in others is usually something we see in ourselves.

And then, sometimes there is a judgement behind the unwillingness to accept a compliment, or flattery. Does everyone remember Mimi from the Drew Carey show? If she gave you a compliment on your outfit you might want to run home and change, and never wear it again!

But this is certainly not the case recently. The compliments that I seem to stumble over the most are not flattery, but genuine appreciation from people that I love and care about. I discussed in a recent post that often it is my own feelings of unworthiness that prevent me from accepting genuine appreciation and admiration.

There is a great line in the movie LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL where the main character is training to be a waiter. The server trainer says "God serves man, but God is not a servant." God/dess never turns away a compliment, regardless of who it comes from or how it is given. God/dess is never modest or shy.

Angels never turn away compliments either. It seems higher beings never have a problem accepting good, no matter where it comes from. And certainly not when it is genuinely given. And they never accept it as a debt, or as flattery. They accept it as their good, being reflected back to them.

I often tell people that the Universe will send you messages through any open channel. Telemarketers are often the agents of Angels and spirits. I always listen to the names of telemarketers and collection agencies. Sometimes they are the voices of those that cannot speak, or messages from beyond.

If we are too reluctant to accept our good from those that love us, the Mimi's of the world will be the only ones left who can reach us. As I have discussed before, our judgements about other people are really judgements about ourselves. Our compliments are often the things that we wish to admire in ourselves but feel we can only accept in others.

Lucille Ball once said "to get anywhere in this world, you really have to love yourself." And that means allowing other people to Love you, too. Maybe you don't love that dress you are wearing, or your new haircut, or your dorky sense of humour, but someone else does! Look through their eyes and maybe you will learn to love it, too!

Remember too, that often the Universe will "test" what you are willing to accept. If you turn away a compliment, if you turn away another's admiration of your own good, the Universe will take that as a sign that you won't accept any more of it. (And in the giving of compliments, remember that the Universe takes everything that you say and do towards others as the guidelines on how you yourself want to be treated. So don't be afraid to give them either!)

So I vow from here on out to accept all compliments with the graciousness of God/dess and the Angels. I hope you will, too. There is an abundance of good that the Universe wants to give you, and appreciation of who you are is part of that good. A truly gracious and grateful person will always accept good whenever it is offered, however it offered.

Accept that compliment! Toot your own horn! That's what it is there for!

PRAISES, THANKS, BLESSINGS!!!