It is Not Better to Give Than to Receive

For many givers, one of the biggest challenges is receiving. Whether it’s a compliment, an offer of support, someone who holds a door open, or someone who picks up the dinner check, receiving makes us uncomfortable.

Our cultural conditioning frowns on receiving.

It’s better to give than to receive.

You may have a belief that people who receive are “takers” or “mooches.” You may believe that you must work hard to get things; that it doesn’t count if someone just gives it to you. Sometimes we have a belief that receiving will indebt us to the giver, or require a quid-pro-quo.

Givers tend to harbor a sabotaging habit of deflecting and denying offers of care and support. This mindset denies us the power of receiving.

The most successful people are those who are skilled in both giving and receiving. And yes, receiving is a skill. This is something we must practice at every opportunity so that we can learn how to receive with grace.

Here are three reasons to practice receiving:

Receiving Proves Our Worthiness – To Ourselves

When we allow ourselves to receive from others, we prove to ourselves and to the others in our world that we are worthy to receive.

Receiving Is Giving

What I find most interesting is that givers know how good it feels to give. Yet by refusing to receive what others wish to give us, we deny them the opportunity to experience the euphoria of giving.

By receiving and accepting what is offered to us, we allow the person making the offer to feel the joy of giving.

Receiving Allows Us to Give More

Allow ourselves to receive care and support — either from others or ourselves — is a form of nourishment. We replenish our energy stores and refuel, which gives us more to give to others.

If you want to serve at the highest level, it’s not enough to learn how to give and how to serve. You must also learn how to receive.

The statement that it’s better to give than to receive is false. There’s no contest between giving and receiving. Both are equally important.