Memnoon: Blessing The One Who Is Asked

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Hand-drawn art by Rupali Bhuva
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Memnoon: Bendición de aquel a quien se le pide
--por Heather Schlessman

Una de las claves para una vida más feliz es hacer solo lo que quieres hacer. Nos han enseñado que eso es ser egoísta. Esa enseñanza viene de miles de años de desarrollar una dominación sobre la sociedad. Nos han enseñado a hacer las cosas por miedo al castigo o por deseo de recompensa porque así es como se produce la dominación. Así que va a ser un gran trabajo luchar contra esa enseñanza arraigada y empezar a vivir la vida desde la energía de memnoon.

Memnoon es una solicitud que bendice a la persona a la que se le pide. Eso te llevará un momento asimilarlo. En otras palabras, lo que alguien me pide es algo que quiero hacer, y en realidad es un regalo para mí. Me estás dando un regalo al pedirme que haga algo. Eso es lo mucho que quiero hacerlo. Es como si alguien dijera: "¿Me harías un favor? y ¿ Te tomarías el día libre para hacer lo que quieras?" ¡Sí! [...]

Lo más difícil de decir que no, es contarnos historias sobre lo que dirán los demás. Nos decimos a nosotros mismos que pensarán menos en nosotros porque no estamos haciendo lo que se supone que debemos hacer.

Tenemos dos opciones. Podemos dedicar algún tiempo a descubrir cómo ver esa situación de tal manera que estaríamos saliendo de la energía de memnoon, o podemos darnos empatía de que no podemos llegar a ese punto y lo mejor que podemos hacer. es decir que no

Hay algo liberador en darnos empatía al respecto. Cada vez que hacemos algo porque se supone que debemos hacerlo, estamos enviando una energía que no afirma la vida. Nos decimos que si todos dijeran no a las cosas que no quieren hacer, nadie le daría nada a nadie. Pero esta es la mayor mentira. Nuestra mayor necesidad es contribuir a los demás.

Cuando nos damos el poder y la libertad de repartir memnoon, descubrimos lo alegre que puede ser. Queremos dar más y más. Imagina a un niño pequeño arrojando comida para peces en un estanque koi; la alegría de ver a los peces arremolinarse y abalanzarse sobre la comida. Esa es la alegría que queremos tener dando a los demás. Cuando podemos encontrar eso en cualquier situación, el dar se convierte en un regalo.

Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con el encuadre de dos opciones, ya sea viniendo memnoon o dándonos suficiente empatía para decir que no? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de un momento en que sentiste el gozo de ser bendecido por una petición? ¿Qué te ayuda a aprovechar tu poder y libertad para dar solo de 'memnoon'?

Extracto de un artículo en Los Angeles Post Examiner.
Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the framing of two choices, either coming from memnoon or giving ourselves enough empathy to say no? Can you share a personal story of a time you felt the joy of being blessed by a request? What helps you tap into your power and freedom to only give out of 'memnoon'?

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8 Past Reflections
KR
Kresny
May 12, 2026
I've learned a few ways of expressing a request as a memnoon from Marshall Rosenberg:
"Would you be willing to ... because I'm feeling a need for ..."
"I'd like you to do this only if you can do it joyfully."
“Please do as I request, only if you can do so with the joy of a little child feeding a hungry duck.”
But my favorite one is just "Would you be willing to ..." (or just "Would you like to ...", but not without some loss of memnoon energy), which I use whenever I want to minimize the chances of my request being heard as a demand or an obligation, and to present it as a gift of free will to say "yes" or "no". That's because every time we do something with even a tiny sense of obligation, reward, or fear, we start slowly eroding the relationship.
DD
Mar 19, 2022
My understanding is Schlessman is saying we can come from memnoon which is the gift of asking someone to do something they want to do or we can give self empathy that we can't get to memnoon. We do have those choices. I felt blest by the request to talk about something bothering me that I wasn't talking about and wanted to. I don't only give out of memnoon. What would help me to only give out of memnoon if I were to do that is caring that the other gets what he or she wants and paying enough attention to the other to know what he or she wants and then give the gift of asking the person to do that. I don't operate that way. I value what is good for me or for the other more than what I or the other want. What a person wants and what is good for the person may or may not be the same. I like when I help the other to know what is good for him or her and support the person to do that.
JP
Mar 18, 2022
Memnnoon is a request that blesses the one who is asked. There are two ways I can respond to the memnoon-moment. If I perceive the request genuine I gratefully resonnd to it. Such a response brings a lot of joy in my heart. In this situation memnoon becomes a gift for me. By giving I receive. If I perceive it as a manipulative request I will decine it. If I do not respond to it that way I will feel resentment in my heart. At such times I need to empathise with me and be authentic. When I encounter such situations I use discretion in making my choice. Basically I am an empathic and compassionate person. I need to act wisely. I am blessed to get many opportunites for helping others. When I see someone struggling for making wholesome choices in his life my heart goes for that person. Someone going through suffering touches my heart. I reach out to hold his hand and be instrumenatal in easing his pain. I feel enriched in my heart by giving an uncndional gift to the person going through p... View full comment
ML
Melanie Lowndes Mar 23, 2022
Thank you for your reflection. It helps my understanding. I usually find your reflections help my understanding and am grateful for them. Melanie :)
AM
Amita Mar 24, 2022
I love reading your reflections. They are very thoughtful and profound Thank you for sharing your wisdom and knowledge. Great learning for me.
VI
Mar 17, 2022
We live fully when we give freely. It is an indescribable joy, maybe even an addiction, where the more you give, the more you want to give. And the more you give, the more you find there is to give. Gratitude!
NK
Mar 17, 2022
Self awareness, Conscience and Independent Will are some of the most significant endowments Humans have. When it is exercised by always adding "pause" and "poise" before we act, decide, commit or respond. Pause helps us shift from our mind to our heart, poise lets us say "NO" unless there is a bigger "YES" burning inside us - both helping us with the "memnoon moment' since riding on the wheels of pause and poise is the vehicle of compassion and love!
ML
Melanie Lowndes Mar 23, 2022
Thank you pause and poise - very helpful. :)