How Much Happiness Are You Willing to Receive?
Are you struggling to manifest the life of your dreams? Have you tried the law of attraction and decided that it didn’t work for you? Being able to receive more happiness may be the missing key.
Check out this picture of the Animal Flower Cave in Barbados. I am so grateful that I was willing to receive this amazing trip. Magic and miracles are possible for you too.
Why is receiving happiness so important?
When we decide to manifest something, the law of attraction tells us to visualize having already received it and being grateful for it before it manifests in the physical. We are telling the universe that this desire makes us feel good. In order to receive our desire, we want to maintain the good feelings.
What happens when negative feelings creep in? We begin to get frustrated that things aren’t moving fast enough. We worry that something could go wrong. We try to figure out how we’re going to make it happen. We begin to doubt that we can even receive our desires. We are telling the universe that this desire makes us feel bad. Negative feelings stop the flow.
Positive feelings are crucial to successfully manifesting our desires. Positive feelings can include anticipation, excitement, gratitude and happiness.
What stops the flow
We are biologically programmed for survival. In our distant past we needed to constantly scan our environment for danger. Even though there are probably no dangerous animals waiting to pounce, we are still on the lookout for anything that could be dangerous or go wrong. Rick Hanson calls this our natural negativity bias. By removing this bias, we can move from languishing to flourishing and see the world through rosier lenses.
We may still be carrying messages from childhood that do not support us. Were you told “Don’t be selfish.” or “Don’t take more than your share. There won’t be enough to go around.”? These old messages can hang around unless we replace them with new messages that match our adult belief systems.
We may not deeply believe that we deserve to receive our desires.
There are some easy steps you can take to move into the flow of life. Don’t worry. I won’t be asking you to dig into your past to discover exactly what is stopping you from manifesting your desires.
Signs that receiving is a problem for you
- An inability to receive with happiness and gratitude can show up in a number of small ways. Here are a few ways we resist receiving.
- If someone pays you a compliment, do you try to discount it? Do you feel uncomfortable?
- If you receive a gift from someone, do you feel off balance until you can give them a gift? Do you dislike receiving gifts?
- If you receive praise for doing a good job, are you embarrassed by the attention?
- Do you consistently settle for less than you desire?
- Take a moment and think about your life. What are some of the ways you are resisting receiving?
How to receive more happiness
The best way to train yourself to be comfortable with receiving is to focus on small areas of your life first. Once you are comfortable receiving a compliment or a small gift, the easier it will be to receive your bigger desires. As Abraham says, “The better it gets, the better it gets.”
The first thing you will want to do is to set an intention to become more comfortable with receiving.
Next, start noticing when you have uncomfortable feelings around receiving. When you notice the discomfort, pause for 90 seconds to interrupt your typical knee-jerk reaction.
Now, you can reprogram yourself. Intentionally think positive thoughts. I am open to receiving. I am grateful for this gift. I am happy to be recognized for my work. Then, feel the positive feelings and take a few moments to savor them
Keep doing this exercise until you are able to receive with happiness and gratitude. You are rewiring your brain which opens you up to miracles and magic.
About the author
Cindi Bergen
As a child, Cindi believed in the magic of fairies — and as an adult, she never lost her ability to sense what’s unseen. Instead, she learned to translate it. What looks like magic to most isn’t an accident or a mystery… it’s the expression of universal principles most people never learned to read.
Through her own life experiences — from doubt to surrender, from stress to peace — Cindi became a bridge-builder between what the heart feels and what science proves. She intuitively translates deep spiritual insight into grounded understanding, and rigorous psychological research into actionable, heart-centered tools.
Her work is rooted in:
Cindi created the signature FLIP IT technique to help people shift out of negativity and into a positive perspective — not just temporarily, but in a way that becomes sustainable, embodied, and transformative.
She holds a master’s degree in Instructional and Performance Technology and has studied Appreciative Inquiry, a transformational change methodology grounded in psychology, sociology, and organizational behavior. Before dedicating her life to First Create Happiness, she spent years in training and development supporting Fortune 500 companies — helping people understand not just what to think, but how to think in ways that open possibility.
What she teaches isn’t about perfection. It’s about remembering who you truly are, reconnecting with your innate joy, and creating a life that reflects not just your desires — but your deepest self.
Cindi doesn’t ask you to believe blindly.
She invites you to experience what’s real.