Opening to Receive: How to Reset Your “Allowing Meter”

Take a moment to look around your life at all you have created: the objects in your home; the circumstances that are unique only to you, and the relationships you enjoy (or don’t enjoy!) with family members, coworkers and friends. And now consider that there was a time when none of these things existed in their current form; a time when they were only an inkling, an idea, or a vague desire.

Everything in the external, manifested universe begins as an internal vibration that is generated within. And likewise, everything that is currently manifested in your life whether pleasing or not, came into being in response to the strength of your desire, the nature of your expectations, and the beliefs you hold about what is and is not possible. The combination of these forces creates an internal set-point that determines how much of what you are asking for you are actually in a position to receive. I call this internal mechanism your “Allowing Meter,” and once you understand the range of experiences it is set let in, you gain the power to expand and increase that range.

In the same way that a thermostat regulates the temperatures in our homes, the collective vibration we generate through our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, words and actions creates a very specific range of experiences that we are open to receiving. The set point of our Allowing Meter affects what we notice and fail to notice; it limits the range of ideas that are available to us in any given moment – and, ultimately, it determines the quality of experiences we attract.

Although you may not be consciously aware of it, you have distinct set points that determine just how much vitality, pleasure, ease, happiness, freedom, and abundance you are comfortable allowing into your life.  In fact, you have a different vibrational set point for each different area – your finances, relationships, career, vitality… you name it. So how can you tell if your set-point is open or shut? When you contemplate some aspect of your life and you feel good, this is an indication that your Allowing Meter is open, and that you are in a state of receptivity to your own desires. But if you desire something that falls outside the parameters of your Allowing Meter, you will experience some degree of tension.

In any aspect of your life where you feel tension, this tension is letting you know that in this moment, your thoughts, beliefs, emotions or perspectives are pushing away the very outcome you desire. Bridging this gap is an inside job; it requires the softening of resistance so you can once again become open to receive.  The following 3 step process will guide you to reset your Allowing Meter in any area of your life where you are feeling stuck, where you have a chronic complaint, or where you are consistently not getting results that you desire:

Step One: Find the clarity in contrast.

Contrast is what we experience when there is discord between our inner desires and our outer reality, and this discord creates a point of tension that we register in our bodies and minds as a feeling of discontent, disappointment, impatience and a lot of other emotions we typically label as “negative.”  As you feel this point of tension, know that its purpose is to cause you to identify with greater clarity what it is you do want in this situation.  If you had it all your way, how would this project, situation, or relationship look and feel? Allow yourself to identify both the material changes you desire to make (“I want a new job.”) as well as the immaterial (“I want to feel free.”).  As you shift your focus away from what you don’t want and begin giving your attention to what you do want, your resistance begins to soften.   

Step Two: Align with the essence of your desire.

Behind every desire – big or small, material or intangible, superficial or deep – is a longing to experience a certain feeling. Whatever it is that you’ve identified that you want – whether it’s to meet your soulmate, transform your body, experience more success in your career, or make more money – the underlying reason you want it is because you believe having it will make you feel a certain way. 

To uncover the inner feelings driving your desire for external things, you need only ask yourself one question: Why do I want it?  If you desire more money, for example, what is the feeling state you believe you’ll achieve in the having of it? It might be a feeling of worthiness, of empowerment, of self-love, of freedom…This feeling is the essence of your desire.

To align with this feeling, place your attention on your solar plexus, and allow yourself to connect with it at an emotional level. Feel its essence in your heart. Feel it in your belly. Allow the vibration of this energy to permeate your entire body and radiate out through every cell of your being.  Appreciate all the times you have experienced this feeling in the past, and open yourself to having a deeper experience of it now. The more you can align yourself emotionally and energetically with this feeling, the more receptive you become to the outcomes you want to create – not only in this one aspect of your life, but in all of them.   

Step Three: Take inspired action.

As you continue to focus on the energy of this essence feeling, be open to receiving inspiration in the form of new thoughts, ideas, and actions that you can take to increase its momentum. If love is the essence of what you are wanting to create, what is something you could you do right now to experience more love? Would watching a particular movie expand that feeling? Or connecting with a friend, or taking a bath, or petting your cat? We have so many more options for raising our vibration than we typically realize or take advantage of, and when you start to look for them, you will see that these opportunities are all around you. As you take an inspired action, make feeling good your primary intention, rather than achieving a particular outcome. Your only task is to open your Allowing Meter so the feeling can move through you. Your open, good-feeling emotions will naturally magnetize the outcome into your life.