How to Be a Feminine Woman: How to Receive

In this blog post, we’re going to explore why we, as women, prefer giving and sometimes have a bit of a hard time when it comes to receiving. I will share with you 4 tips on how to receive with joy and tap into your feminine energy even more.

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1. Understand the Concept of Receiving

One of the characteristics of a feminine woman is to allow, accept, and receive. We are talking about accepting others as they are, allowing love, receiving gifts, etc.

When we have a problem with receiving, it’s usually linked to low self-esteem or feeling that we’re not good enough, we may get tricked or manipulated in some way.

The art of receiving is called art for a reason. It’s much easier to give with an open heart, especially for us, women. We want to take care of everybody, to nourish them, and help them in any way we can.

So, why is it so hard to grasp the concept of receiving?

Giving and receiving are the opposite sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. If you want to give love, you need to learn how to accept it as well. If you want to give gifts, you have to be able to receive them at the same time.

Receiving is harder for many of us for various reasons. We may feel as if we’re not enough, we’re not worthy of love, we don’t deserve the wonderful gifts the Universe wants to give us, or we can’t just accept an expensive gift without feeling guilty about it…

So, the first thing we’re going to work on is your mindset when it comes to receiving.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Why do I have a problem with receiving?
2. What does receiving mean to me?
3. Was there a time in my childhood when I felt unworthy of receiving or felt manipulated and betrayed after I received something from my parents?

These questions will help you understand your relationship with receiving better. Now that you know what a bad relationship you’ve had so far with receiving and are willing to change it, let’s get to tip number 2.

2. Learn How to Receive Compliments

I used to struggle with low self-esteem, especially in my teenage years. So, imagine my surprise when a friend of mine who happened to be a psychologist, told me the following:

‘I just paid you a compliment. Why are you explaining yourself? Do you know what the proper way of receiving a compliment is?’

I replied that I didn’t. Then he gently smiled at me and said: ‘Thank you.’ 

That’s it. 

Now, let me give you a few examples of my inability to receive compliments. Every time somebody complimented me on my dress, for example, I said something like:

‘Oh, this thing? That’s just an old dress. I think I bought it on sale…’

Another example – somebody complimented me on my perfume and I immediately complimented them back: ‘I love yours, too.’

While paying a compliment back is not as bad as overexplaining yourself, it’s still not the best way to reply to the person who’s put in the effort to pay you a genuine compliment.

Just smile politely, say ‘Thank you’, and move on with your conversation.

Following the right etiquette is extremely important if you want to become more feminine, so make sure to practice receiving compliments the right way.

3. Receive from Mother Nature

Whether we’re talking about eating a delicious fruit or making a salad, these are all Mother Nature’s gifts. Be grateful for all the beautiful things you have in your life, such as the sun that lifts your mood, the beautiful trees that give you oxygen, and the wonderful flowers that you can smell for hours.

We, as women, nurture our femininity by being connected to nature. It’s important to feel gratitude for all the beautiful gifts Mother Nature has in store for us.

We may neglect these things in our busy daily lives, but if you’re grateful for all the wonderful things you already have in your life, it will be much easier to feel whole and at peace.

Feeling at peace is directly linked to our feminine way of receiving gifts from the Universe and the people around us, which leads me to tip number 4:

4. Receive Material Gifts

What if someone gifts you something that you don’t like? What if they catch you off guard and you don’t have a present for them? What if you feel guilty? Or what if you don’t want to receive that gift at all?

Gifts come in all shapes and forms. A gift may be a hand-cooked meal from a relative, a bouquet of flowers from your husband, or a bracelet from a friend. 

So, what should you do when you receive a gift you don’t like?

Say ‘Thank you!’

You may also add something like ‘That’s so thoughtful of you’ to show that you appreciate the effort put into the present.

What you do with the gift from that point on is entirely up to you. You don’t owe them any explanation and you definitely don’t need to give them something back.

We all give presents for different reasons, so in this case, it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not. Appreciate the effort, thank them, and move on with the conversation.

Now, what if you actually like the gift, but feel a little bit ambushed by it?

For example, your boyfriend, whom you’ve been dating for a month, buys you an iPhone, or a friend from college, whom you haven’t seen in years, buys you a trip to Europe.

In this case, it’s best to be honest and ask some questions to clarify the reason for gifting the gift. This may put your mind at ease and make it easier for you to accept it.

For instance, let’s take a look at the boyfriend example. If he gets you a new iPhone, thank them and say that you can’t believe he bought you a new iPhone!

Tell them how much you appreciate it and ask them politely: ‘How did you think of that? What made you buy it?’

They may have just wanted to surprise you for your birthday because they saw yours was broken. Then, you have nothing to worry about, and you definitely don’t need to get them anything in return.

Your gratitude, love, and appreciation will be more than enough.