October 2026: Receive

To ask for help or support, and then to Receive that help, can be challenging, especially in our Western culture. It can be challenging for women and others who are sometimes guided to more giving and caring professions like teaches and nurses to ask for or Receive help.

For the more hero-like professions, asking for and getting help are also challenging. I’m thinking of firefighters and soldiers. Our culture tends to glorify the proverbial rugged individual who pulls themselves up by their bootstraps and muscles their way through adversity. And for some members of society it’s taken for granted that they should be the givers. As a result, many of us hesitate to ask for help or for what we need.

I doubt that this is just my personal experience, but I have difficulty gratefully receiving the generosity of others. When I’m offered support, especially in physical form, I tend to say I’m okay and can tackle the situation myself, even when the help would make a difference. I even have difficulty accepting a compliment and often use modesty to reduce the impact of my contribution or my abilities, so that I don’t seem smug or conceited. And even though it’s not my intention, when I self-deprecate in this way, I inadvertently reduce the value of the compliment or what’s being offered.

When I was going through a difficult health challenge, one of my friends understood and offered to help. As much as I didn't want to accept their help, I really did need an extra pair of hands. I struggled to accept their help because my ego was saying a lot of stuff. “You don’t want to be obligated to someone. There could be strings attached. You can handle this problem.” But all the second-guessing in my head was reflective of some strong nagative emotions. Those emotions were shame, fear, and pride. I was ashamed and fearful that I wasn't as independent as I thought I was. Eventually, I did accept the help and there were no strings attached. My friend gave me something they wanted to out of friendship and concern, and their support made a real difference for me.

In reflecting on this experience, I learned to experience true gratitude for the friendship and support from my friend. The support made a huge difference in my circumstances at a very difficult time. And in some way, I think the help my friend gave me was a gift to them.

I want to be present to compliments, kindness, and generosity in all their forms and Receive them graciously. When I give to others in their times of need, I don’t want my support to be turned down or diminished. I'm learning to Receive with a full heart and the knowledge that there are times when the care and support given to me are gifts not to be diminished or turned down. I’m learning to gratefully Receive the love and generosity that is given to me, and to not let culture, upbringing, or social pressures for independence block these gifts.

My Guides said this about Receive:
"To Receive is to allow. Allowing can feel risky and feel vulnerable. But being vulnerable is one of your greatest attributes as a human being. Vulnerability is the birthplace of community and community in humans is how a great many things are imagined, invented, and built. No one person alone can imagine and build everything. It is in your nature to be in community and that cannot happen without allowing yourself to Receive blessings in all their forms."

Based on this message from my Guides, I think to be able to Receive can be viewed as once source of strength and of connection to each other. My Guides tell me that we are one, that there is no separation between you and me. Maybe opportunities to Receive are ways to remind us that we aren’t separate from one another and that our oneness is reliant on allowing ourselves to Receive blessings, help, support, and guidance.

I’ve created a symbol for Receive, which you can use as a reminder to Receive with an open heart the gifts and blessings that are given to you, and to be brave in asking for help when you need it. You can screenshot this and make a print or digital version, or you can purchase an archival quality print from the Symbol Prints page. The print includes the intention message for Receive as shown below.