Yesterday morning I rushed out the door in order to make it to work on time. I noticed there were leaves all over the patio. I dutifully picked up the broom in order to sweep, but within about 2 ½ seconds I realized I didn’t have enough time. So, I begrudgingly put the broom back in its home. I like to come home after work to a nice clean comfortable space, but the leaves were going to have to wait.
Several hours passed and I was dropped off at home after my shift was over and low and behold, the patio had been swept—like magic! My landlord was standing next to me at the time and I asked if he had been the mysterious sweeper. Before he answered, it occurred to me that he wasn’t my knight in sweeping armor. It was a Monday and that meant that my housecleaners (who are also my friends) had been there earlier in the day and it was them who lovingly made my home pretty for me.
Now that may not seem like a stretch that housecleaners would clean up the house. However, I generally only have them clean the bathroom every week. It’s hard on my back to scrub in all the crazy positions you have to get into while cleaning a bathroom, plus the elbow grease that is necessary due to the Arizona hard water that leaves a plethora of stains, makes it well worth it to me to have these lovely ladies come in and take care of it for me. When I have a few extra bucks, I have them do extra things around the house, but this week could not be one of those weeks.
Furthermore, it just wasn't the outdoor patio that had been cleaned. When I walked in the front door, I had discovered that my floors were a whole lot shinier than they had been earlier in the day. They had clearly been mopped, as well—not just for the bathroom, but for the whole house. Not to mention that the morning dishes had been washed. It frankly looked beautiful and I was thrilled, but I must admit that while I was in clean home heaven, I also felt badly that they only earned the rate for cleaning the bathroom.
Later in the afternoon I saw one of them and she told me that her partner had indeed cleaned everything, which turned a normal thirty minute job into an hour and half. I whipped out the bit of money I had in my wallet, but it was not accepted. I was told that it was a gift for all the nice things I do for them.
After she said this I again felt uneasy that they hadn’t made what they were due. That was my fear-based ego talking in my head. At the same time, my Spirit was inside me saying, “During the course of your Spiritual Awakening you have learned to give, but you still need a few lessons on learning to receive.”
Our culture teaches us that it is a bad thing to receive and when we do receive a whole lot of guilt often accompanies the gift. When that happens I am simply blocking abundance of all sorts from making its way to me—and that is certainly not a welcome thought.
Well, I say we kick the guilt out by the curbside. OK, maybe we don’t have to be that mean. We don’t have to disown our guilt, because if that is how we feel in a particular moment, then that is where we are. What we can do, is recognize the guilt. See how it feels in our body. Breathe into any space that feels tense and then release it. We are then free to receive with a genuinely grateful heart.
I thank Jana and Michelle for helping me remember this lesson. You two rock it out of the park!
If you would like to read this entry and other articles such as this one, please visit www.lisatunney.com and click on the blog link.
Thank you for reading and Namaste! (The Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)
Lisa Tunney is a metaphysician with an accessible approach. She has been described as “Sex and the City meets the Dalai Lama”. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from U.C. Berkeley and a Master’s Degree in Metaphysics from the American Institute of Holistic Theology. Additionally, she teaches Shamanism, Reiki, Intuition Development, Meditation and is a Philosopher and author of the upcoming inspirational books, Blossoming Butterfly and The Seed Planter. Through the various avenues of teaching she pursues, she integrates laughter, intuition, storytelling, and most importantly, it is her goal to help guide others to listen to their own Inner Wisdom.