First Class Free

By Laura Mills

Weekends I frequently find my husband and me at a coffee shop, where one of my favorite drinks to order is a latte. This past weekend, though, on a whim, I ordered a cappuccino. Now basically, both drinks include espresso and steamed milk; the only major difference as far as I know is that a cappuccino includes a foam cap while a latte doesn't. The drinks may be served or presented differently, depending on the restaurant or venue, but once a customer sips past the top of the mug the basic beverages taste more or less the same.

What I find interesting here is that merely the addition of that foam cap is enough to create a completely different menu item with a whole new identity. I'm guessing baristas will tell you some customers only ever order lattes and some only ever order cappuccinos; is it truly because theyíre particular about the presence or absence of foam? Why else might a customer prefer one over the other?

Speaking for myself, I realized this weekend that I've usually ordered lattes simply because it's what I've always done. I actually enjoy cappuccinos just as much. It's a small realization, yes, but still a clue that maybe I should take time to look past something's name and the top of my cup at all the wonderful stuff that's really out there.

OCTOBER 29, 2009:  This morning I was having a little talk with myself during morning meditation about giving and receiving. I actually reached out to a dear friend about this topic as it relates to putting on hold things in my life I’ve deferred for a while.  As I wrote to her I realized that what I was focusing too much on was what “I don’t want” when as I’ve said to you all many times “stop majoring in minor things” or “stop putting energy into what you don’t want.”  Oh yeah, that’s right. 

As soon as I realized what I was doing then I felt a total shift in energy.  I needed to focus more on RECEIVING.  Spiritual maturity has us focus on What We Do Want, not the other way around.  So I ask you What Do You Want to Receive in your Life?

·         Acceptance

·         Love

·         Success

·         Wisdom

·         Grace

·         Joy

·         Money

·         Freedom

·         Peace

·         Healing

·         Inspiration

·         Creativity

I bet if I took a survey of us all asking “are you better at giving or receiving?” Most of us would consider ourselves best at Giving. But hold on there...Are we really that good at giving if we so often don’t make time for our own well-being.  We have to learn to be brilliant at giving to ourselves which means we have to allow ourselves to receive.  So instead ask yourself, HOW GOOD A RECEIVER ARE YOU?  Could you be more open to the opportunities, jobs, people, places you experience?  Because the spiritual law is this: when you are more receptive to life itself, the more wonderful your life appears to be (Robert Holden, Be Happy)

What we can do to become better Receivers is as Robert Holden writes:

Give up the struggle; to receive is to be willing to give up all unnecessary struggle

Give up resentment: shift happens when you let go

Give up fear: stop worrying about the unknown

Give up pride: release your ego

This is not asking us to change anything. This is just a simple recognition (like what happened to me this morning). A realization of asking the universe for what we want and that is enough to make us better receivers and welcome all that we desire in our lives!  Now may we have the courage to Ask for what we want to receive.  Love in all ways, Silvia