Receiving is just as important as giving. It sets the flow of abundance and helps others to attract their good as well. When you refuse to ever receive you can be robbing someone else the chance to give. Science has even shown that your health may depend on your ability to receive.

There are many reasons that people have for not receiving.

They believe that:

• It is bad or selfish to receive
• They'll feel guilty
• They may take from someone else
• There may be strings attached
• They will owe someone a favour, and hate to be in debt.
• What if they can't return it.

If you feel as that you have taken someone else's good from them, you cannot do this. The Universal laws, when you are in harmony with them, are set to your advantage. You can have whatever you desire, as long as your integrity is in order.

In many societies, the belief that we shouldn't receive can start to reach extremes. There are people who can't even receive a compliment or even a "thank you". In their attempt to be polite, modest or not appear stuck up they are actually really annoying the person who gave them the compliment.

For example, a person may say:

That is a nice outfit you are wearing
• and they reply, "What this old thing" or

• "Oh, it's just something that I threw on."

Alternatively, when you have helped someone and they say thank you, if you start saying, "Oh, it was nothing", It undermines the value and worth of the help and some people feel it undermines them.

I remember when I was in college, I had a hard time at accepting compliments. One year when I had completed a year-end project. I had fellow students coming up to me saying what I great job I did. I didn't want to appear better than anyone else or whatever it was I was feeling, so I would say, "Oh, it was nothing." Or, "It could have been better."

I had one friend get mad at me. She said, "Why can't you take a compliment? When you say it was nothing, when it was better than ours, just what are you saying about what we did?" I had never thought about it that way. I definitely didnt want to imply that theirs wasnt any good or insult them. It had more to do with what I believed I should do.

I have been more careful just to say thank you. And you know what; It feels good to say that.

So, if someone gives you a compliment, just say "thank you" If someone is thanking you for helping, just say, "your welcome"

Quantum physics and neuroscience also shows the importance of receiving. Many studies, with the help of modern equipment, have shown how important it is for our brain to receive new or stimulating information. If we stop learning, the brain begins to stagnate and loses neuron connections. You remember the saying "use it or lose it". Those who continue to learn, read or even do crossword puzzles, do much better in their later years.

Also, consider a healthy lake, it has both an intake, receiving, (river or underground spring) as well as an output, giving. It flows with new life and thrives. A lake that has only has output or input, dies or stagnates. Think of the Dead Sea, it is dead because it doesn't have the flow.

We are like the lakes. We must continue to have the flow in order to be successful, prosperous, healthy and happy. So ask yourself, "When is that last time I received?"