How to expand your capacity for experiencing positive energy

Last week I shared with you about FOPO (Fear of Other People’s Opinions), and how we all have this fear ingrained in us (check out the blog here if you missed it out!). 

This week, I want to follow up with something related to that thought, something that I realized when I was at the gym. 

At the beginning of the week I was at the dressing room in the gym and I saw a penny on the floor right in front of me. 

At first, I didn’t give it any importance, I left it on the floor and did nothing. After I was all dressed up, I had this thought, how about I leave it inside the locker for the next person that comes out and use this locker?

I know it’s just a penny, but I once heard that it doesn’t matter if it’s just a penny or a 20 dollar bill, when the Universe puts money in front of you, you should just take it because it’s a sign of abundance and you don’t say no to money, whether a lot or a little… So, in my mind, I decided to share this sign of abundance with the next person that would use the locker and I left it in there. 

A couple of days later, I was back at the gym and the penny was right where I left it… (and yes, I use the same locker every time…routines, routines, routines…).

I suddenly realized, could this be the Universe showing me its abundance and testing to see if I can accept all that is given to me?

Could I be trusted with little? I’m sure you’ve heard this before, if you are not trusted with little, how can you be trusted with much? 

So, the Universe was giving me, and finally, I decided to accept it. I took the penny.

Funny enough, after I took that penny, the next day I found another one during my lunch walk with my colleague, and guess what? I took it! Despite the fear of embarrassing myself in front of my colleague… and the following day, I found another one on my way to my car, and of course, I picked it up again. 

I was reminded daily of the ABUNDANCE around me, and of the importance of accepting what is given to me without reservations, which, in the end, took me to write this blog. 

You are probably thinking: How is this story relevant to me fearing other people’s opinions? How is this related? What are you trying to tell me Sofia????

Ok, just stay with me for a while here…

Sometimes you are afraid of saying or doing things because of what others might think about you. But… when finally, they actually tell you how they feel, when they tell you that they like what you just did, or what you just said, when they pay you a compliment… you go and dismiss it, you don’t believe it, you don’t accept what’s been given to you freely… 

Do you know what I’m talking about? 

Think about the last time someone paid you a compliment, how did you react? Did you accept it GRACEFULLY and just say thank you and take it all in? 

Or, did you try to deflect it by saying something like “Nah, that wasn’t so good”, or “I could have done it better”, or “I wasn’t at my best”, or “It was just luck” …

We have an arsenal of excuses that deflect our own achievements. We dismiss the praise so easily that we don’t even realize we are doing it anymore... 

You see where I’m going with this?

You are not letting the praise and compliments FILL you up. You are not accepting the abundance around you. You are not taking the penny that the Universe offers you…

As Gay Hendricks shares in his book The Big Leap, you are crimping the FLOW of positive energy by avoiding it. You are deflecting and keeping the positive energy from landing, being received and being acknowledged. 

Gay mentions in his book that this deflecting mechanism, where you shut out the positive energy coming to you, keeps you from challenging yourself and prevents you from expanding your capacity for experiencing that POSITIVE ENERGY. 

I don't think I want to shut down my capacity for experiencing positive energy!!!

I want the opposite! I want to be able to fully experience positive situations and fill my life with uplifting energy!! 

You see, the issue with not accepting the praises and compliments and the abundance coming your way, is that you keep yourself in your safe zone.

You don't let yourself experience the growth and you don't expand your tolerance for things going well in your life.

You are limiting yourself. You hit your UPPER LIMIT. 

And, as Gay tells us in his book, one of the ways to go past your Upper Limit is by creating space within you to feel and appreciate natural good feelings.

You see now where I was heading with that penny story? 

The penny reminded me of being OPEN to the good things in the world. It reminded me to honor what is given and ACCEPT it without reservations. It reminded me about all the great things around me that fill me up on a daily basis with GRATITUDE and AWE. 

There were many riches in that simple penny if you ask me!!!

Whether is just a penny or a smile from a stranger, I want to take it all in and bathe in the positive energy that is directed to me. 

So, the next time that someone gives you their opinion and they actually pay you a compliment, how are you going to react?

Will you take it or will you deflect the beam of positive energy?

Can you allow yourself to bask in the moment and acknowledge it without judgment? Can you let it all in? 

Can you get past your Upper Limit and EXPAND your tolerance for good things happening to you? 

And, on the other hand, if you put yourself at the other end of the situation, and you know that sending positive energy to the people around you makes a helpful impact on them, will you be willing to share your praises and compliments with others?

Can you share your smile with the people at the office? How can you impact the people around you in a positive way? 

Let me know in the comments below, how do you normally react when someone praises you or gives you a compliment? Do you have a deflecting mechanism? Are you allowing their positive energy to reach you? 

xoxo,

Sofia