Hey friends,
If you have ever felt resentful from giving too much, uncomfortable receiving, or confused about abundance, this video is for you.
Let me share the guilt biscuit, a real-life story about learning the difference between giving from abundance and giving from guilt. This reflection looks at why receiving matters, how we misunderstand it, and how allowing ourselves to receive opens the door to abundance.
Giving and Receiving Abundance
We have all heard the saying, “It is better to give than to receive.” It sounds right. It feels right. But if we stop and really look at it, something does not add up. One feels better – until you explore it on a deeper level.
Abundance is not about giving more, doing more, or making yourself feel better by helping. Abundance is a balance. It is the balance between giving and receiving, and most of us have never learned how to receive.
Why Receiving Is Not a Lesser Position
I share a moment with a dear friend of mine who is quadriplegic. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I knew how to give. But one look from her taught me something I had never seen before. I realized how comfortable it was for me to give, and how uncomfortable it was to receive when the giver is performative. That moment made me stop and really look at where giving comes from!
Giving From Guilt vs Giving From Abundance
Giving can come from pleasure, or it can come from guilt. And those two feel very different in the body.
I tell a story about trying to give a biscuit to a man outside a restaurant. I was not giving from joy. I was giving from guilt. And he did not want my guilt biscuit. I ended up eating my guilt biscuit. That moment showed me that when we give from guilt, we are really trying to make ourselves feel better. It is not about the other person.
Then I share another experience that showed me something else entirely. A pair of pants at a store kept calling my friend’s name. I felt excited. I wanted to give them to her. When she received them, she received my pleasure, my excitement, my happiness. And I received just as much in giving them to her.
That is balance.
Learning How to Receive Abundance
Receiving is not neediness. Receiving is allowing. It is opening. It is saying yes. And it takes more awareness to receive than it does to give.
Abundance is not about money. It is about happiness. And happiness is free. We think we need something else first. A relationship. A job. A situation. But happiness is right there. We just do not allow ourselves to receive it.
Abundance as a Balance Between Giving and Receiving
Giving and receiving are equal. One is not better than the other. They are like breathing in and breathing out. Life itself is an exchange. Every breath is a gift. Love and life are given freely, and they are abundant.
When we understand this, giving no longer comes from guilt. It comes from abundance. And receiving no longer feels like a lesser position. It becomes a joy. I discovered, “Abundance is a balance between giving and receiving.”
This guided meditation and talk is an invitation to look at where you are giving from, what you are receiving, and what you may be blocking without realizing it. It is about learning how to receive happiness, love, and life itself, without having to prove you are worthy first.
Watch the video here:
FAQs
Why do I feel guilty when someone gives me something?
Guilt often comes up because we’ve been trained to think that receiving is a lesser position. When someone gives, we may feel we don’t deserve it, or we start comparing ourselves to others. That’s what happened when I tried to give a biscuit to a man outside a restaurant. I was giving from guilt, not joy. Receiving is not about being needy. It is about allowing, opening, and saying yes. When you allow yourself to receive without guilt, it creates balance and opens the door to true abundance.
Is it really better to give than to receive?
That old saying does not hold up when you really look at it. Giving feels comfortable because we are trained to be doers. Abundance is not about giving more or doing more. It is about balance. Giving and receiving are equal participants, like breathing in and breathing out. One is not better than the other. If you don’t receive – how can you be a part of the exchange?
What does it mean to receive abundance?
Receiving abundance is not about needing something or proving worthiness. It is about opening yourself to what life or someone else is offering and feeling the pleasure of allowing it in. When I gave my friend a pair of pants, I felt pure joy in giving, and she felt my pleasure when receiving them. That is balance. Receiving abundance is letting life’s happiness, love, and joy flow through you without judgment or guilt.
How can I stop feeling uncomfortable when someone helps me?
Receiving takes awareness. It requires stopping the pattern of thinking you are less than or that you must earn it – or don’t deserve it. It is about allowing yourself to be cared for and letting others express their giving. I realized how uncomfortable I had been with receiving before. Learning to receive with openness and pleasure shifts the experience entirely and teaches you how to give.
Can giving from guilt harm my relationships?
Giving from guilt does not truly serve anyone. It is about making yourself feel better, not about the other person. When I tried to give a man my guilt biscuit, he did not even want it. That taught me that giving from guilt is not the same as giving from joy or truly enjoying my own receiving. When giving comes from pleasure, joy and abundance, both the giver and receiver benefit. Guilt-driven giving can create imbalance, resentment, or confusion in relationships.
How do I find balance between giving and receiving?
Balance happens when giving and receiving are equal and not from guilt. The universe shows us this in every breath. Inhaling is receiving, exhaling is giving. When we align with that natural rhythm, we do not feel superior for giving or lesser for receiving. True balance is feeling pleasure in giving and allowing yourself to receive without conditions, judgme t, or guilt. It can be a joy and a pleasure to receive too!
What is the difference between giving from pleasure and giving from guilt?
Giving from guilt is about trying to fix something or make yourself feel better, often because of comparison or shame. Giving from pleasure comes from excitement, joy, and abundance. When I bought those pants for my friend, I wanted to give them because it thrilled me. She received that pleasure. Giving from pleasure creates joy for both people, while giving from guilt can feel heavy, forced, or even unwelcome.