Although Christmas coming annually is a given, something in me lives in complete denial of that fact—the holiday comes as a relative shock every year. If you are like me, sweating the fact that Christmas Eve is only 3 weeks away, wondering if, how and what you may be giving this year, I’d like to share the bottom line that helps make it work for me.
For me, choosing generosity is fundamental. When I say “choosing generosity,” I’m not talking about the material proof. I’m talking about a feeling inside. Take a moment, close your eyes, and think about your best buddy. Imagine you’ve just given him or her something that lit them up. How does that make you feel?
It makes me feel terrific.
I’m in two Life Schools: Service and Love. Serving others with love is what lights my fire. Careful… our cultural history makes us jump to the conclusion that loving service means giving something free at great cost to your self. This is NOT what I mean. Hmmm. I see there is meat for several newsletters here…
For now, I want you to concentrate on the fact that whatever you decide to give, it needs to make YOU feel good. It’s true that giving needs to be without strings, but it isn’t true that it must entail self-sacrifice.
As you choose your gifts, first ask yourself: “Will giving this make me feel great?” If not, it’s not on. It might be at too much of a personal cost (too much money, time, effort, not in alignment with the true nature of your relationship with the receiver, etc.) Second, ask “Can I give this freely without expecting anything in return?” Gifts given with underlying expectations are as much a danger to the giver as to the receiver. Those strings can drag your own heart into the quagmire of resentment, at the very least.
It’s also not true that generosity requires large sums of money. My parents taught us that giving a promise of time and attention was valued at least as highly, if not more so, than physical presents. True, it’s easier to appreciate time and attention as an adult than it was as a child. Let that be a benefit of growing older!
This year, give from your heart. Give in a way that celebrates what you share with the receiver: appreciation, friendship, connection, a shared interest.
Coach’s Challenge: If giving a gift doesn’t make your heart sing, don’t do it. Find a way to give that does. This isn’t easy, not at all, but it’s really worthwhile. Leave a comment to share the creative solutions you’ve found that make the holiday a delight for you!
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Lindy MacLaine is a Life Purpose Coach whose messages empower and inspire those in the second bloom of life to reclaim their dreams, reignite their passions and rekindle their joy. She offers tools to bring your imagination to life and to live your dream now–so that every girl across the globe can live hers as well.
She is the author of the forthcoming fantasy adventure book The Curse of the Neverland, for women and girls of any age who loved the Neverland and wanted to go there for something far more then Spring Cleaning.
