Ready To Receive

Are you better at giving or receiving??
Do you realise whether or not you are a giver or a taker in this life?
Or maybe those roles change in different areas of your life?
What I really want to know is how do I become more able to receive???
I ready a really interesting article recently in a holistic magazine around the art of creating and receiving in your life and about being within the 'flow' of what it is that you desire for your life, which is all very interesting but the piece that caught me the most was the part that said that no matter how much you 'want' something you will only be able to receive what you are ready and able to receive. The article also asked the question 'have you every tried to do something for someone else and given and given to them only to find yourself completely drained and them in the same place they were'. Hmmmmm I thought to myself, this sounds like the story of my life!!!
DING DING - LIGHT BULB MOMENT!!!
The message that I received - loud and clear (thank you universe) is that all of us are only able to accept into our lives ONLY the amount of ANYTHING that we are ready, able, or in my case at least, believe that we are subconsciously worthy to receive. So then I ask myself how do I allow myself to be more open or able to receive???
I have to admit I am still waiting on the full answer (or maybe just an answer that I like!) but I did hear a soft whisper that said 'by keeping on going just as you are, a little at a time'. HMPH!!! I don't know about anyone else but sometimes I just wish there was an answer to life's questions written in neon lights for me with a full explanation so that I could just go 'ohhhhh that's it, ok got it now'. Not this time!!
In my never ending pursuit of 'balance' in my life I notice that my level of comfort with giving far outweighs my level of comfort with receiving which may make me sound generous, or even perhaps a little righteous but in reality maybe there is a level  of selfishness and even arrogance to some of my acts of giving and my lack of receipt.
There have certainly been many times in my life that I have simply gone ahead and bought things or done things for others without being asked and while I certainly believed that I was acting with the best of intentions at the time, isn't it a little arrogant to think that I know what someone needs more than they do?! I whole heartedly admit to being someone who goes over and above in most areas of my life which I guess is fine when it's just for me but I now realise that it really isn't my place to say 'oh I know you wanted this but I got you this and this and this as well' or 'I thought you might need a hand with this so here I am or make a time and I will do this for you/with you'. Even as I look at those statements I feel a little ashamed at my arrogance and pushiness (is that a word??). To anyone that has been on the receiving end of either mine or others 'good intentions' that may not have been needed or welcomed, I apologise for all of us who have overstepped that line and see that perhaps the lesson for me is that if I back off a little from being so focused on giving everything to everyone whether they want or ask for it or not, then maybe I can create a little room for myself to receive.....