My 90 Days of Gratitude | Day 56 | The Best Gift I've Received: Why Worthiness is Earned by Giving

Hello to whoever my words may reach! Welcome to my gratitude corner. Today, I found myself thinking about the beautiful gifts I've received. And I feel so very grateful for it.

For the past few years, I've received lovely gifts from family, friends, coworkers, and especially from my husband. This is relatively new for me. For a long time, I was just a spectator, watching other people receive special gifts from those around them. But life has taught me lessons that have made all of that change.

Since we moved countries, my husband has surprised me by gifting me the perfumes I love the most, regardless of the price. And although I've received all kinds of special gifts, I'd like to highlight these. But if I told you that those bottles are the best gift, I'd only be telling you half the story.

These perfumes have been, for me, the materialization of a life philosophy.

The real, best gift I've received has been the confirmation that my concept of "deserving" and

"manifestation" is correct. An idea that differs greatly from what we often see out there.

The Mistake: Confusing Deserving with Selfishness

We live in a culture that often talks about manifesting from a place of pure self-demand. The idea that "if you believe it, you deserve it," period. But I've always felt that equation was missing something.

You can't, or at least I don't believe you should, feel that you are deserving of wonderful things if you live only thinking of yourself. You can't manifest abundance from a scarcity of empathy.

For me, deserving has nothing to do with being haughty, arrogant, or selfish. It's not about sitting back and waiting for the universe to reward you just because you're "vibrating high" for your own benefit.

I wanted my husband to give me those perfumes, yes. But I knew the way to "manifest" it wasn't through demands or empty expectations, but through the cause and effect of the energy I myself was putting into our relationship.

The Real Work: Manifesting from Service and Empathy

So my "manifestation work" was completely different. It wasn't about repeating affirmations in front of the mirror. It was about a conscious decision to give.

I decided that, to feel genuinely deserving of a luxury, I first had to make sure I was giving the best of myself, not just to my husband, but to the people around me, and even to those with whom I have any kind of contact.

My concept of deserving is based on this: on being a better person.

I have actively focused on cultivating my best qualities. I have strived to be genuinely empathetic, to listen without judging, and to be more understanding of his own challenges and stress. I worked on being a "giver," but not just of material things, but of unconditional support, kind words, and a companionship that adds rather than subtracts.

I focus on making our days easier, on creating a home that feels like a refuge and not like a battlefield of egos.

The most important thing is that I didn't do any of this to receive the perfumes. I did it because I firmly believe that this is the right way to live and to build a healthy relationship. You can't ask to receive light if you aren't willing to be a light, calmness, and peace for others.

The Best Gift: The Consequence of Giving

And so it happened. On my birthday, my husband arrived with that elegant bag. My heart sped up, not just because of the surprise, but because of the meaning.

He wasn't just giving me perfumes. He was giving back to me, in his own love language, the energy I had been sowing.

The gift wasn't a response to my "passive deserving," but a direct consequence of my "active deserving."

It wasn't a "you deserve this because you're my wife." It was a "you deserve this because I see who you are, I see how you strive to be kind, understanding, and the pillar of this family."

That is the best gift I have ever received. The confirmation that the universe, and the people we love, respond not to our selfishness, but to our service. Deserving isn't demanded; it's inspired.

Today, every time I put on one of my perfumes, I can breathe in the notes of empathy, service, and the deep gratitude of knowing that the most beautiful love is the one built on reciprocity.

And you, what is the best gift you have ever received, and why was it so special? How do you cultivate your own sense of deserving through your daily actions? 

Agnesi,

A Red Circle | Un Círculo Rojo