** This is the first in a new series on my blog called Messages From Spirit. It is based on recurring messages that come up during readings. If the same message keeps appearing, it’s meant to be shared because many people are experiencing the same thing! **

I was shown the picture above by Spirit, about the importance of balancing giving and receiving. It’s a pipe that is open on both ends. On the left is giving (green) and on the right is receiving (blue). When the pipe is horizontal, it is balanced and both can flow through equally and effortlessly. That balance means there is an equal exchange of energy.

Now take that pipe, tip it in either direction and look what happens.

Balance goes right out the window! Now there is an unequal exchange of energy. This energy can be in various forms, like your time, physical energy, mental energy, money, attention, etc.

What I want to focus on is the pipe on the left. Interestingly enough, every time this subject comes up, it’s about the person giving more than receiving. The results of this imbalance are things like being exhausted all the time, getting sick, cranky-pants syndrome, feeling unappreciated, no motivation, lack of passion or in the case of money, spending/giving more than you are bringing in. This is definitely no way to be living! So why is this happening?

What I’ve found is that people have beliefs such as:

• “It’s better to give than to receive”
• It’s selfish to want something for myself
• It’s selfish to receive from others
• I’m unworthy or undeserving of receiving
• Receiving means I am somehow weak
• People will love me/appreciate me/respect me if I give more

As you read those, did any of them cause some kind of response within you? You’re not alone. This is one of my lessons too. As I’ve been learning more about loving and honoring myself, this balance has kept popping up. When you give and give and don’t allow yourself to receive equally as much, you eventually run out of energy. Then you have to take a break from giving to replenish your energy because you have nothing more to give. Wouldn’t it make more sense to stay in balance and be able to give continuously? To honor your time and energy because you know they will have limits if you are out of balance?

Looking at the beliefs, I feel that all of them come back to somehow not loving yourself. Beliefs are something that can be changed at any time. If they don’t’ resonate with you or worked for you at one time but no longer do, then change them. Simply let them go and create new, loving ones that do work for you! How about beliefs like:

• It’s better to give and receive
• Wanting something for myself or what’s best for me isn’t selfish, it’s self-love
• I respect my time and energy (and therefore love myself) by allowing myself to receive
• I am worthy and deserve to receive
• Allowing myself to receive is a sign of wisdom, not weakness
• When I do give, it’s because I want to and it comes from my heart. I don’t need outside validation or other’s approval because I validate myself, it comes from within me.

By changing the belief, even the words, you make a shift. It will happen instantaneously on an energetic level and ripple out into your life.

I want to share two things that helped me see the importance of this balance more clearly. The first is a quote I heard. “The more that you allow yourself to receive, the more that you can give”. That threw the selfish and weak beliefs right out the window for me! The second thing is that giving is a gift. When someone wants to give you something, whether it is their time, attention, love or energy, and you say no, you just robbed them of that gift. Think of how good you’ve felt when you gave something to someone and they appreciated it. Let someone do that for you.

If you have any fear that you’ll go out of balance in the other direction and only be in receive mode, let that go. Your intuition will tell you – you’ll feel that something is off or you’ll get that intuitive hit – so trust it. Know that it is a balancing act. The pipe may wobble at times, but that’s ok, we’re all learning here! Having that balance is healthy. And it’s just one more way to love and honor yourself!