“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ~Mother Teresa
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” ~Kahlil Gibran
“Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.” ~Brian Tracy
“Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.” ~Brené Brown
Let’s face it, we all want to remember, feel and believe that holidays are about giving thanks, being with family and celebrating with friends. The same goes for celebrations around birthdays and weddings and other special occasions.
Nevertheless, we put a ton of time, money, effort and undue stress into gift giving. Then there is the hustle and bustle around shopping for the perfect gift.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not ditching all the wonderful traditions that accompany gift giving. But haven’t we lost sight of ourselves and some of the real meaning in the process?
Why not remove the guilt, obligation and “should” from gift giving and see what remains?
From my recollection and upbringing, the tradition of gift giving was based on the three wise men bringing baby Jesus Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. The baby Jesus was seen as God’s gift to the world. There was both a giving and receiving with pure gratitude and joy.
Mary and Joseph didn’t complain that it wasn’t what they wanted, or the right quantity, or the correct size. The wise men didn’t complain that Jesus was too small or ugly. The entire scene emanates an essence of love, the kind of love that comes from the heart.
Is this not what giving and receiving gifts is all about? Isn’t gift giving an extension of love and gratitude towards those we offer gifts to, and a humble appreciation for the gifts we are then offered from others–whether in return or not.
Ask yourself if your gift is coming from your heart, ask if it is an expression of how much you value and care for someone in your life.
I love giving gifts; it truly warms my heart. I get excited about finding that special present. However, if I am not feeling it in my heart and it’s not coming from a place of joy and love, then I struggle with finding anything at all. Doesn’t this say something?
In a society that has become fixated on bigger is better and more meaningful, do we now associate the size or cost of the gift with the amount of love being offered as well? Makes we wonder.
I remember a time when I was not so gracious at receiving gifts. Perhaps this arose from some subconscious feelings of unworthiness, guilt for not having gotten a gift in return, or just plain lack of gratitude because the present wasn’t quite what I wanted. Now, I work at receiving from a very different place–my heart–and I appreciate so much more the thought, time, energy, and resources someone puts into my gift.
When giving or receiving gifts for birthdays or holidays, try coming from the heart and staying connected to the true meaning of why we go through all the fuss and muss.
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