The experiences you go through in life have the power to shape how you feel about love. Unfortunately, some of what you go through can make you feel like you don’t deserve love or that those around us aren’t genuine in their feelings. However, the truth is that most people around you care deeply for you.
These people are genuine in their compliments and are not out to get you. It’s essential to allow yourself to receive this love from other people. When someone passes you a compliment, it doesn’t mean that there are some negative connotations to it. The best thing to do would be to say thank you and believe that the compliment came from a real place.
When you let yourself receive love, there’s a radiance and joy that reflects from you. Being open to receiving love opens you up to learning to love yourself. Here’s how you can learn to receive love.
- Identify your feelings of rejection
If you’ve experienced resistance to accepting love, acknowledge that it’s there when someone shows you affection. Notice it, and be patient. The reason you’re so resistant could be due to an experience in your childhood or past where love was only shared with you with conditions, it was rare, or when it was given, the feeling you got made you uncomfortable. Understand the kind of discomfort you feel when someone shares love with you.
- Be vulnerable
Being vulnerable isn’t easy, particularly when you aren’t open to receiving love. Reach out to someone you trust and be open about how you feel. This is an excellent way to open yourself to receiving love in a safe space. Let them know that you acknowledge how resistant you’ve been to receiving affection. This way, you open up channels for them to understand how you feel and for yourself to make progress in communicating your needs when it comes to love.
- Learn your love language
We all understand love differently and, as a result, have various preferences regarding how we’d like to receive it. Some would prefer to spend quality time with a loved one, and those that would be content to cuddle. The five love languages include:
- Acts of service
- Words of affirmation
- Receiving gifts
- Physical touch
- Quality time
Finding out your love language will help you learn how you prefer to be shown love so you can communicate the same to those around you. It will make it easier for you to receive love and allow those who care about you to show you affection in ways you understand and can receive it.
- You are worthy of love
Understand that you’re like any other person and are worthy of receiving all the love that comes to you. Develop your self-confidence and self-worth, and avoid negative self-talk. Love isn’t for the chosen few; it’s for all who acknowledge, recognize, and receive it!
