The Universe will deliver your heart’s desire when you open your arms and are ready to receive it.

Take a second to soak that one in. Don’t you just love it?

This beautiful message came to me last week just as I was about to drift off into an afternoon nap. At the time, I was far too cozy and comfortable to stop and contemplate it deeply, but in the days that followed I spent a little time mulling it over in my mind.

As intelligent, spiritual beings with a deep desire to understand the intricate mysteries of life, we spend a great deal of time and effort banging our heads against the proverbial wall, feeling frustrated and wondering why the Universe isn’t handling our affairs and providing us with what we want or feel that we need. And so we get angry, we cry, we feel abandoned and defeated. Sometimes we lash out. (I know I can attest to this.)

The simple truth, almost so transparent that we can’t even see it at times, is that, often, what we think the Universe is depriving us of we are actually withholding from ourselves.

Let me give you a personal example from my life.

I was sitting in meditation a few nights ago. (Sometimes when I meditate I hold a specific thought or focus in my mind and other times I sit down, get quiet and stuff just seems to pop into my head out of nowhere. This was one of those latter instances.) For no apparent reason, my mind gravitated toward a moment a few weeks back when I was with a friend (and potential romantic interest) of mine who was attempting to offer me a kind gesture which I was making every effort to refuse. It was such a small thing really, but nevertheless, it held kind of a major impact. Sometimes the biggest revelations come in tiny packages. There I was, being presented with a circumstance where I could have simply allowed myself to be taken care of, but I almost didn’t let it happen. Thinking back on that moment I was surprised to recognize that I have such a difficult time accepting love, even when it’s staring me right in the face. And I’m not just talking romantic love here, but all manners of love — kindness, affection, help and support from others.

That’s when I had a revelation that hit me like a ton of bricks: I am the only thing blocking myself from receiving the love that I want. Tears began streaming down my face instantly as I felt the magnitude of that truth. One of my deepest desires in the entire world is to be loved and cared for yet, there I was, unwittingly withholding from myself exactly what I had been searching for. As I allowed that realization to sink in, I sat for several moments crying and telling myself, “I’m so sorry” over and over. Afterward, I felt like an enormous weight had been lifted.

Letting people in, especially in the romantic arena, isn’t something that’s always come easily for me. In fact, it’s an area that I’ve had to work on a lot. This whole experience helped me realize that, while I’ve made some huge strides, I’ve still been operating with a heart that’s partially walled off. Coming to this realization, I can now choose differently. I can open my heart further to give and receive even more love moving forward.

You see how that works?

The Universe is waiting patiently to give us what we desire, but we have to be willing to do our part to open up our arms and receive it! It can be difficult sometimes to recognize our role, but it all starts with the willingness to examine our thoughts, actions and beliefs surrounding what we want. In my case, it’s recognizing where I’ve been blocking myself from receiving love.

Since I’m kind of in it to win it in the romance department these days 😉 , for the next several weeks I’m taking a magnifying lens to all of the ways I’ve been denying love in my own life — both the giving and receiving of love. A Course in Miracles teaches us that what we give we also receive, so really they’re one in the same. I’m excited to see what the Universe has in store.

If you’re feeling ready to make some changes then I invite you to join me in being a gentle witness to the ways in which you may be holding yourself back from what you want in your life. Let me know how what’s coming up for you in the comments below!

Your deepest desires? I want those for you too. May you open your arms and receive. <3

xoxo

Kristi