Christmas is around the corner, and some of us have been thinking about gifts we would like to give others that they would receive with surprise, joy, and appreciation. The marketing world likes to remind us that this is the season of giving. I would like to promote it as well but with a different kind of giving. The giving I am referring to is the one that doesn’t cost any money and it can bring great JOY to ourselves and others.
Also, in this season of giving, I would like to encourage you to put yourself first on this giving list. Yes, you! What do you need more of? LOVE, INNER PEACE, WELLNESS, ABUNDANCE, APPRECIATION? Would any of these gifts bring more joy into your life? Make a list of the things you want more of and set an intention and create a plan to make it happen. Often times I write down that which I want and express gratitude as if I already have it by creating a feeling of joy in my heart. This approach not only has brought me many things and experiences I wanted into my life but also much joy to my heart.
The second person(s) need to be your loved ones. What do they need most from you? LOVE, KINDNESS, APPRECIATION, your TIME and ATTENTION? I wonder how would they react if you would give them a card giving them what you know they need most from you? A few years ago, I received for Christmas a coupon booklet that had several things my child knew I wanted. One of them was to wash my car for me. I received this gift with joy in my heart because every coupon was something important and meaningful to me. The fact that my child took the time to think what was valuable and important to me was precious, and it was free.
One thing people want most is appreciation. As I was raising my children and they became teenagers, life became challenging. In order to preserve healthy relationships, I implemented family meetings and also a clear protocol on how to walk through the challenges as they arose. The last step of this protocol was to share what we appreciated about each person in our family. We did it one person at a time without rushing the process. I could see how their expression softened as they heard how their siblings and parents appreciated certain things about them. This was a key element to build strong family relationships. At the beginning of the family meetings they may have not experienced joy but it paved the way for joy to come to the surface. My children are now mature adults, and they still use this process in their family life and at work.
You can extend giving the gift of joy to your workplace through appreciation. People love more than anything being appreciated for who they are and what they do. You could exchange names and ask that each person brings three things they appreciate about one person. The feeling inside the person who is receiving that appreciation will last a long time. They can write it down in a nice card and give it to the person so they can read it over and over again.
In this season of giving, I would like to promote giving from our heart versus from our pocket. Those are the gifts that last a lifetime. The other ones come and go and eventually are forgotten.
Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad. May you be blessed with much love and joy, wellbeing, and abundance. You truly deserve all of it!