The Season Of Giving
During the holidays, we reflect on those we love and appreciate. It’s a time to think of ways to express our feelings of love and gratitude for those who have made a significant impact on us. When it comes to sharing from your heart to another, gifts become the perfect way to let others know how we feel. You may believe that the best gifts are the latest tech, the trendiest fashion accessories, or the newest shiny object.
You run out to the store braving the elements and traffic to go and find the perfect gift for the occasion. You browse many stores, endure long lines and unsolicited sales as you search for what you believe will reflect your heart. You finally make a decision and purchase the gift that you believe is best. You get it wrapped in fancy packaging and bows, hurry home with excitement in your heart to give it away, and see the smile on the person’s face.
After you present the gift to the person, their face radiates with joy. Your heart fills with happiness and anticipation as you encourage the person to open it. They tear off the bow, rip up the fancy wrapping paper and open the box. After the big reveal, you get a hug, a thank you and, you part ways with a feeling of excitement in your heart. Mission accomplished! You feel that you’ve given the best gift, but how long will those positive emotions last?
I’d like you to take a moment and think about something. Were you aware that most of those types of gifts have a very temporary impact? Typically it will either be regifted to someone else, collect dust on a shelf, or be sold in a yard sale. The energy and effort that went into acquiring the gift don’t coincide with the aftermath of the exchange. Even though it’s the thought that counts, have you thought of making a lifelong impact with the gifts you share with others?
The Best Gift For All Occasions
Did you know that you are a gift? Not only are you a gift, but your gifts contain many other beneficial surprises! You carry the potential within to transform lives and make an impact that will enable the gifts in others to be revealed and shared. When you think of reaching out to others to express love and appreciation, have you considered that giving yourself may be the best gift to share with yourself first and with others?
No Comparative Shopping Necessary
It may be easy for some to accept but, for others, it’s a difficult concept to grasp. You make believe you aren’t valuable, that your packaging isn’t pretty enough and that you have nothing to give. You’ve accepted that the journey of life has bumped, bruised, and damaged you to the point that you don’t believe you are of any good to anyone. You may even think that no one will accept you as you are or appreciate what you bring. This way of thinking is far from the truth.
I’m here to challenge you to think differently and to discover the gift you are! Nothing on the planet compares to who you are as an individual and what you have within you. Keep in mind how diamonds and pearls come to be. They begin as dirty, ugly, and unpolished. But after they have gone through a process of refinement, they are priceless! These polished jewels escalate in value, tons of money spent to acquire them, and they are displayed for the world to see their beauty. Some of them are so rare that they are unavailable to the public. Think about that!
Your Gift Box
To begin to see the invaluable gift that you are, you must first take the time to understand that you are unique for a reason and that your “packaging” is perfect. There are treasures within you that only you can give. Your voice, ideas, and insight are needed. The way you think and analyze situations are ideal for the right recipient. Another thing to keep in mind is that everyone doesn’t deserve the gifts you bring. To the right people, you are an invaluable jewel but, others may not see your worth.
Everyone Doesn’t Deserve You
You may be aware of some of your gifts and, at some point in your life, you’ve given them to someone or situations that don’t appreciate you. In those situations, you may get used, abused, taken for granted, and thrown to the side when a shiny new person comes along who seems to offer more value than you.
Little did they know that buried underneath within you is an untapped gold mine. Many times those people and situations become the catalyst for you to begin the process of refinement. After you invest in yourself and allow your gifts to shine, those same people and situations wish they would have known what was in you but, now it’s too late. When you discover your value, you begin to see yourself in a different light and, you can distinguish which people and situations are worthy of you and which aren’t. It’s time to take back your gifts from the wrong people and situations!
How The Gift Of You Makes A Lasting Impact
Let’s look at how you can share your priceless treasures with those who are worthy of you. These gifts make a lasting impact and transform a person’s life for years to come.
Gratitude
The first way is to show your gratitude to those who are meaningful to you. You’d be amazed at how powerful a simple thank you can be to someone. Some people give of themselves to the brink of exhaustion to help others. They volunteer their skills, show up when they commit, and are reliable. The small act of showing gratitude encourages them to keep going and makes them feel appreciated. Expressing gratitude to those who always show up for you is invaluable.
Involvement
Showing up to aid others in their time of need can be life-changing. There are times that a shoulder to lean on, a listening ear or, your company may be all a person needs to encourage them through a rough time. Money doesn’t fix all problems. There are times where getting involved to aid another will strengthen the individual and you as well. In the difficult times we face, people feel isolated and alone. When you get involved and show your support, it lifts the spirit like nothing else.
Friendship
Being a real friend to someone can make the difference between life and death or success and failure. There are times in life where a good friend will tell you things that you aren’t willing to hear from others. Friends have a way to cheer you up from a dark place and hold you up when your foundation seems to be caving in. Lasting friendships are like the wind that fills up the sails of a ship. As the winds provide the means to propel a ship forward, your friendship may be the wind that propels another forward in their lives.
Time
Time is a priceless resource that we all are losing. How you spend your time is more valuable than how you spend your finances. If you lose money, you can earn it back but lost time is irreplaceable. When you elect to give of your time to assist others, you are investing in their lives and showing them that you care for them. Precious moments of time soothe the soul, bring clarity of mind, and allow for plans to be developed which shapes destiny.
The world is in dire need of the treasures that you carry within, but are you willing to refine them to share? Give the gift of you and make a difference in the lives of others that money can’t buy!
About The Author
Melvin D Nix is a spiritual teacher, author, and motivational speaker. He currently hosts a weekly broadcast called “Putting On The Pneu You” (pronounced New You) where he teaches how to apply universal spiritual concepts and principles in an easy to understand format so anyone can apply them and see tangible results in their daily lives. PneuYou.com
Follow the Pneu You Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds, and Subscribe to the YouTube Channel.
