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Day Thirteen: Generosity and Receiving
Day Thirteen: Generosity and Receiving
“Women are taught that their main goal in life is to serve others — first men, and later, children. This prescription leads to enormous problems, for it is supposed to be carried out as if women did not have needs of their own, as if one could serve others without simultaneously attending to one’s own interests and desires. Carried to its “perfection,” it produces the martyr syndrome or the smothering wife and mother.” ~Jean Baker Miller
(Day 13 of 30 days of writing. All of the 30 days are posted on Medium or go to this link and purchase the entire e-book for 99 cents. The Sacred Feminine: Tuning into Your Personal Power. 30 days of Writing and Reflecting)
There was a time in my life when I thought my role was to only serve. In collaborative environments, I was willing to do 90% of the work, if everyone else would give 10%. I had been so conditioned to value the act of giving that I had shut down my ability to receive. What looked like generosity from me was really unhealthy giving. Several times, I even got sick from giving too much without listening to the needs of my body or by refusing help from others. The only way I could rest was to get physically ill.
In 2013, all of that changed when I had an experience of living with seven people in a large house in…
