Unknowingly, many people go through life with defenses they developed early in life in order to protect themselves. These defenses were, no doubt, appropriate then, to feel safe, but now they serve to shut out desired experiences, like intimacy or love. An essential part of being receptive to what you desire is to soften your barriers enough to let in what you desire when it shows up. For example, you may spend considerable time alone as a way to protect yourself from being hurt by other people, but unless you recognize this is a result of prior experiences and is not serving you now, you will continue to isolate yourself.

Another deterrent to being receptive can be your tendency to believe that you need to act aggressively in order to achieve your desired goal. This can cause you to become mono-focused, thus, you fail to see, and be open to, opportunities on the periphery of your desires. Becoming receptive involves a softening of your defenses and a willingness to remain open to possibilities outside your immediate realm. If you are looking for love or friendship, it means you need to look within yourself to see where you are closing down, and avoid becoming fixated on where you might find the love you desire. In this way, you become more open and more expansive in terms of what you see as possible.

Sometimes the things and people you want to draw into your life elude you because you are unconsciously blocking them out, either with your defenses, or with tunnel vision that causes you to not see them when they appear. If this is the case, you need to take action by exploring and softening your barriers, and expanding your vision to encompass new possibilities. These actions are the essence of being receptive.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net