Many Bright Women find it easy to feel and express love for others. You’re probably one of them. And what about the other side of the coin? What if there was an easy way – a simple secret – to have mutually nurturing relationships? Read on to try it out!
Are you as good in truly opening up and receiving love – aka care and nurturing and kindness – from the people in your life as you are in giving? According to Positive Psychology ‘Love’ is one of 24 character strengths. The important thing to understand (and practice!): it’s a two-way street. We have both the capacity to give love to others and the capacity to receive love from others. Only then, relationships become mutually nurturing. This may seem common sense, but it’s not.
Why?
When it comes to a feeling of love, of connecting and caring for the welfare of someone else, I know quite a few women who are proficient in this art. On the other hand, when the task consists in truly opening up and receiving love, receiving care and nurturing and kindness from others (in their terms and how they are able to express it) well, not all of us score that high I would say.
Of course, this is related to letting go of perfectionism and trying to control everything and getting to grips with things. I stop now, you don’t need to hear this over and over again, I know.
Well, I offer you two remedies that are fun, easy and can be implemented right away:
The first one is practising self-compassion.
The second one is even easier: simply open up!
Your Turn Now
All you have to do is to be aware of all the love you get.
Open up for love in its various forms.
It’s not just about romantic love in a partnership that is so highly estimated in our societies (and leads to so much suffering as well).
However, ‘what if’ you solely focused on all the ways your husband or partner is expressing his love for you: by listening, sharing feelings and thoughts, appreciating, supporting showing his affection, trying to make you feel special.
It may take the form of close attachment, care, deep emotional connection and nurturing like with your children or parents;
You may observe acts of respect, kindness and care from friends;
Eventually, you can open up to receiving sympathetic joy, compassion and loving-kindness from others.
I suggest that you stick with this conscious practice for at least three to five days.
No urge to immediately get even – on the contrary!
The idea is to strengthen your receiving muscle. AND to observe as well as enjoy realizing how much love and care others are willing to give to you – if you let them.
xox
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Photo: Wikimedia commons, Bowenpan
This article was initially published in 2014 and updated in December 2021.
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