As we reach the instant of year when Christmas items initial
to appear in the stores, and thoughts of vacations beginning to wind down with the shortening daylight, it is a grand time to ponder gifts. Not only the gifts, though, but also the practise of giving.
Offering a gift could be
a mutual pleasure; some might say it should be a pleasure for giver and recipient. A problem with a modern commercial Christmas, however, is that buying gifts can become a chore. Often it is a stress ridden chore in the dying days before Christmas Day, as everything gets left to the last minute.
A true gift, though, should bring with it no stress; it should come from the heart to be a true gift, and not be out of duty. If someone is resentful of having to spend instant and funds
buying Christmas gifts, then the result is not a gift but a token of duty.
Why not generate this next Christmas a measure
to make the choosing of individual gifts a pleasure for yourself, and for the recipient. Often in the last minute haste to buy gifts in measure
for Christmas Day, everybody become detached from not only the purpose, but the person to whom they are giving. Bought hastily in a crowded stress filled store, scarcely a thought might
pass for the individual on the receiving end, however close they might
be to you.
Most of the year, if not all, might
be filled with work, commuting, rushing here and there, stress, and self focus. How about time and attention for those who really matter in your life, whether spouse, offspring, other relatives, friends or colleagues? The choosing of a gift, and presentation of it, could be
a silent way of giving each of them special attention, and then culminating with their pleasure at the receipt of the gift.
Behind every nice
present there is a person who worked hard to build the best choice. The secret to buying the perfect gift is to think about the communication
you want to send out, when the receiver opens it. If you think about his or her hobbies, to his or her vacation plans etc. It means you have really studied that person and you bought the present precisely for them, for that occasion; in this case, Christmas.
Friendship and caring are themselves are a gift, so you might
see that if you put some real selfless effort into choosing gifts, the worth of the gift is magnified. That is something which will shine through the wrapping paper, and in the moment of giving the pleasure that you feel in building
the gesture will radiate in the warmth of your expression. The choosing and the giving of a gift are inseparable.
With Christmas some way off, now is a great instant to start thinking about the meaning of giving, so that by the instant Christmas comes, there will be no thinking oh, this Christmas gift business is a chore.
Instead of thinking about the physical aspects and inconvenience of buying Christmas gifts, of the costs and effect on your credit card, think about the love, respect and caring that you feel for those to whom you will be giving. That way you will beat the stress before it surfaces, and enjoy the act of giving as a true pleasure.
